Transport from Elephant and Castle: Your Gateway to London Living

Just south of the River Thames, this central London neighbourhood is served by the Underground (aka the Tube), National Rail, and an excellent choice of bus and cycle routes. Which is great news if you’re looking to move here for work, pleasure… or a bit of both.

Transport Links in Elephant and Castle

London Underground: the heart of city connections

Bakerloo Line

Connecting south and north-west London, the Bakerloo Line gets its name from a combination of Baker Street and Waterloo stations. Since Elephant and Castle is the last stop on the line, you can almost always get a seat in the morning rush hour to the West End.

From Elephant and Castle, you can easily reach destinations such as Waterloo (4 mins), Charing Cross (7 mins) and Oxford Circus (10 mins). You can also switch onto other Tube lines, including the Central, Jubilee and Piccadilly.At Transport for London, they’re currently planning on extending the Bakerloo Line past Elephant and Castle towards Lewisham. They’re also aiming to add new stations and new trains – so watch this space.

Northern Line

Originally consisting of three separate railways, the Northern Line is known for having several branches and a large number of stations (52 to be exact). 

You can take a direct train to London Bridge, Bank, Old Street, King’s Cross, Balham and beyond. Plus, you can change onto other Underground lines, including the District, Circle, and Waterloo and City.
Fancy staying out ’til late? The Night Tube runs on the Northern Line every Friday and Saturday. So you can party after dark without spending loads on a taxi back home to Elephant and Castle.

National Rail and Thameslink: beyond the Tube network

National Rail is the overarching network of passenger rail services in Great Britain, and Thameslink is a big piece of this jigsaw.

Thameslink services

Elephant and Castle station is part of the vast Thameslink network, with its overground trains that zig-zag across and beyond London. This service ferries passengers to places that are both on and off the Tube map, including Blackfriars, Farringdon, St Pancras and Luton Airport Parkway. Helpfully, Thameslink allows you to reach destinations north and south of the capital without the hassle of changing trains in central London.

Northbound

This Thameslink branch is ideal if you’re working in or near the City. You can take the frequent, direct service to Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, Kentish Town, West Hampstead, St Albans and beyond. Get off at St Pancras International station for the Eurostar. Alternatively, if you need to catch a flight, either take a direct train to Luton Airport Parkway or change at Blackfriars for Gatwick Airport.

Southbound

If you’re looking to swap the lively streets of London for some peaceful green space, get off at Denmark Hill station to visit Ruskin Park, or Peckham Rye station for Peckham Rye Park. From Elephant and Castle, you can also catch a Southbound train to various other destinations, including Loughborough Junction, Herne Hill, Tulse Hill, Mitcham Junction and Sutton.

Southeastern services

During peak hours, you can take this service to residential pockets of Greater London, including Shortlands, Bromley South, Bickley, Petts Wood and Orpington. You can also hop off the train at Beckenham Junction and take a tram further south from there. Although the Southeastern service is less frequent than Thameslink, it does give you the handy option of taking alternative routes during busy times.

The extensive bus network: connectivity at your doorstep

If there was a prize for the area with the most London bus routes, Elephant and Castle would probably win. There are a mind-blowing 29 routes in total, including day and night services. You can catch a direct bus to almost any part of the capital: north to Farringdon, south to Peckham, east to Canary Wharf, west to Notting Hill. And from autumn 2025, there will also be a new, express bus route that will zip between Waterloo and Lewisham via Elephant and Castle. 

• Hopper fare: If you’re travelling by bus or tram, the Hopper gives you unlimited journeys for the price of a single fare (£1.75) within one hour of setting off. This makes buses significantly cheaper than travelling on the Tube or by rail, especially for short journeys from Elephant and Castle.
• Accessibility: All London buses are kitted out with ramps, low floors and designated spaces for wheelchairs (which can also be used by buggies and prams when not occupied). Also, most buses offer audio-visual announcements to help passengers follow their route more easily. 

Commuting by bike: the greener choice

Cycleways

Elephant and Castle offers a fantastic choice of cycle routes, whether you’re a seasoned cyclist, a nervous novice or a pedalling parent. 

Here are some popular routes: 

• Cycle Superhighway 6 (C6): runs from Elephant and Castle to King’s Cross and Kentish Town, largely separated from motor traffic
• Cycleway 7 from the City to Colliers Wood in south-west London
• Cycleway 10 from Waterloo to Greenwich along plenty of residential streets
• Cycleway 14 from Waterloo to Woolwich in south-east London
• Cycleway 17 from Elephant Park (a new development in Elephant and Castle) to Burgess Park in Southwark

Local facilities

• Park it: Cyclists benefit from thousands of parking bays in the area, including over 3,000 spaces at Elephant Park. 
• Repair it: Get your bike professionally repaired at Fix Your Cycle in Elephant Park, or Recycling @ Elephant & Castle on Elephant Road. 

Hire it: If you don’t have your own bike, you can always hire a Santander Cycle from just £1.65 for short trips. You’ll find various docking stations around Elephant and Castle.

Something to consider

While the local cycling infrastructure is expanding, certain areas have gained attention for potential safety concerns, such as a cycle lane that meets the pavement outside Sainsbury’s on New Kent Road. However, the infrastructure is regularly reviewed and improved to prioritise everyone’s safety, which makes cycling an increasingly appealing way to get around.

Fancy moving to Elephant and Castle?

Let us introduce you to UNCLE in Elephant and Castle – the tallest residential building in the capital. Whether you rent a one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment, you’ll wake up every morning to some of the most incredible views the city has to offer. We have apartments available in Elephant and Castle right now, complete with an on-site gym, coworking spaces and some of the best views in the city! To see them for yourself, contact us today.