Docklands Light Railway extension to Thamesmead explained

Docklands Light Railway extension to Thamesmead
Type:Light metro
System:Docklands Light Railway
Status:Proposed
Locale:
End:Thamesmead
Stations:2
Planopen:2030s
Gauge:4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The Docklands Light Railway extension to Thamesmead is a proposed Docklands Light Railway (DLR) extension to serve the Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead redevelopment areas of East London.

Mooted in the late 2010s, the extension was first formally proposed by Transport for London (TfL) in 2019, with proposed stations at Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead. Public consultation on the project began in 2023. Estimated to cost around £1bn, the extension could open in the "early 2030s".[1]

Project development

Background

Thamesmead, built on former marshland on the south bank of the River Thames in East London, was developed by the Greater London Council from the 1960s onwards to meet the demand from Londoners for social housing.[2] As part of the initial development of the area in the 1970s, the area was intended to be served by the (then) Fleet line and an infill railway station at Church Manor Way. However, plans for the railway station never came to fruition, and the Jubilee line was only extended to Stratford in 1999, with passive provision at North Greenwich for a second branch which would have a route to Thamesmead via the former North London line to North Woolwich, which itself is now used by Crossrail.[3] As a result of these developments, Thamesmead remains not directly served by railway services of any kind, with the closest stations being Plumstead, Abbey Wood and Belvedere. Furthermore, the area is in the centre of a 22km (14miles) gap in major road crossings of the River Thames – with planned road crossings at nearby Gallions Reach and Belvedere never built.[4]

Limited passive provision is present in the Docklands Light Railway extension to Woolwich Arsenal for a junction to Thamesmead as of 2005,[5] however following the cancellation of the Docklands Light Railway extension to Dagenham Dock and the Thames Gateway Bridge in 2008, TfL considered other ways to assist with the development of the Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead areas throughout the 2010s.[6] [7] Options proposed included:

Following the approval of the Silvertown Tunnel in 2018,[15] local campaigners pushed for public transport improvements in the area.[16] In March 2018, the Mayor's Transport Strategy proposed an extension of the DLR towards Thamesmead and Barking town centre.[17]

Plans for development in Thamesmead continued, with Peabody and Lendlease announcing an £8bn regeneration project in 2019 with over 11,500 new homes to be built.[18] Developers on the south side of the river also pushed for development, with Aberdeen Standard Investments proposing the redevelopment of Gallions Reach Shopping Park.[19]

Formal proposal

In December 2019, a DLR extension to Thamesmead was formally proposed by TfL as part of the draft Thamesmead and Abbey Wood OAPF,[20] [21] [22] with proposed stations at Armada Riverside in Beckton and Thamesmead.[23] [24] An extension of the DLR was proposed instead of an extension of the Overground from Barking Riverside, as an Overground extension would have lower connectivity benefits, cost more to operate, have a low frequency of trains (4 per hour) and a construction cost twice as much as a DLR extension as the gradients required to cross the River Thames would require large scale tunnelling works when compared to the DLR.

In September 2020, the extension was included in the long term funding submission by TfL to HM Government. The document noted that the extension would cost around £800m, with completion between 2026 and 2030.[25] Following adoption of the OAPF in late 2020, further feasibility and technical work began, funded wholly by landowners and local boroughs.[26] [27] In 2022, the extension was included in the draft London Borough of Newham Local Plan, which proposed "a new city district" at Beckton Riverside, connected by the extension.[28]

In June 2023, the Strategic Outline Business Case for the extension was submitted to HM Government.[29] [30] It noted that a DLR extension to Thamesmead could allow between 25,000 and 30,000 homes to be constructed. Three options would be considered in the next stage:

The business case noted that a DLR extension to Thamesmead could cost between £700 million to £1.2 billion, and could be completed in the 2030s. The next step would be seeking government funding to develop the scheme further, with a full business case submitted in 2025.[31] In February 2024, TfL began public consultation on the project, proposing an extension of the DLR to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside, as outlined in the business case.[32] [33]

Route and stations

, the proposed route of DLR extension diverges from the Beckton branch just after Gallions Reach, turning east to pass by Beckton DLR depot before Beckton Riverside station in Beckton. The route then continues southeast, crossing under the river before arriving at Thamesmead station. The 2024 consultation noted that the line could be extended in the future to Belvedere or elsewhere in Bexley in the future.[34]

Station localeLondon borough
Beckton RiversideNewham
ThamesmeadGreenwich

Notes and References

  1. Web site: FAQs Extending the Docklands Light Railway to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead Have Your Say Transport for London . 2024-02-05 . haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk . the extension could be open in the early 2030s ... We think it could cost around £1bn (2022 prices).
  2. Web site: Thamesmead local history. London Borough of Bexley. 17 April 2020.
  3. Book: Horne, Mike. The Jubilee Line. Capital Transport. 2000. 978-1-85414-220-7. 50–52.
  4. Web site: Inside Out London – Thamesmead. BBC. 8 October 2008. www.bbc.co.uk. en-gb. 2020-04-17.
  5. Web site: DLR 2020 Horizon Study. live. What Do They Know. 23 September 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111108214018/http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/18439/response/46991/attach/4/Report%20Horizon%202020%20Final%20Issue.pdf . 8 November 2011 .
  6. Web site: 4 October 2016 . DLR extension to provide 11,500-home Thamesmead boost . 2020-04-17 . Inside Housing . En.
  7. Web site: Mayor of London . Mayor of London . 2016-10-10 . East London Crossings (8) . 2020-04-17 . Mayor's Question Time . en.
  8. Web site: Have your say on new river crossings in east and southeast London – Transport for London – Citizen Space. consultations.tfl.gov.uk. 2020-04-17.
  9. Web site: December 2020 . Thamesmead and Abbey Wood OAPF – OAPF Transport Strategy . 17 April 2020 . London.gov.uk . . 25–26.
  10. Web site: 26 February 2019. Greenwich Waterfront Transit: the history, cancellation and rebirth. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200921024610/https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/2019/02/26/greenwich-waterfront-transit-the-history-cancellation-and-rebirth1/ . 21 September 2020 . 2020-12-28. From the Murky Depths. en-US.
  11. News: Call to bring London Overground to Thamesmead – south east London's largest town with no trains. 22 September 2014. This is London Local.
  12. News: Dudman. Jane. Boris Johnson's London orbital railway – is it a good idea?. 2014-08-01. The Guardian. 2020-04-17. en-GB. 0261-3077.
  13. Web site: DLR Extension to Thamesmead and Bexley Riverside. Mayor of London. Mayor of London. 2014-06-02. Mayor's Question Time. en. 2020-04-17.
  14. Web site: Mayor commits to building greener, public transport-focused crossings. London City Hall. 16 April 2018.
  15. Web site: Improvements and Projects – Silvertown Tunnel. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20140812021145/http://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/improvements-and-projects/silvertown-tunnel . 12 August 2014 . 2020-12-21. Transport for London. en-GB.
  16. Web site: Lydall. Ross. 2019-11-25. £1bn Silvertown tunnel contract is finally signed. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210506030756/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/silvertown-tunnel-ps1bn-contract-is-finally-signed-a4295951.html . 6 May 2021 . 2020-12-21. Evening Standard. en.
  17. Web site: Mayor of London . March 2018 . Mayor's Transport Strategy . 25 June 2023 . Greater London Authority . 259.
  18. Web site: Peabody picks Lendlease for £8bn Thamesmead regeneration. 2020-04-17. Inside Housing. En.
  19. Web site: 2 March 2018. GREATER LONDON AUTHORITY – DECEMBER 2017 DRAFT LONDON PLAN REPRESENTATIONS ON BEHALF OF STANDARD LIFE INVESTMENTS GALLIONS REACH SHOPPING PARK, ARMADA WAY, LONDON, E6 7ER. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200614143314/https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Standard%20Life%20Investments%20-%20Montagu%20Evans%20(3168).pdf . 14 June 2020 . 22 January 2021. Greater London Authority.
  20. Web site: See DLR extension plans for Thamesmead and Abbey Wood. Leeming. Lachlan. Bexley Times. en. 2020-04-17. 29 September 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200929022050/https://www.bexleytimes.co.uk/news/transports-plans-for-bexley-1-6491008. dead.
  21. Web site: Chamberlain . Darryl . 2019-02-15 . TfL lifts lid on possible Thamesmead DLR extension . 2020-04-17 . 853 . en-GB.
  22. Web site: Workshops about the future of Thamesmead and Abbey Wood opened to public . 2020-04-17 . News Shopper . 31 January 2020 . en.
  23. Web site: Thamesmead and Abbey Wood OAPF – OAPF Transport Strategy – December 2019 Draft. December 2019. Greater London Authority. 17 April 2020.
  24. Web site: 21 December 2020 . Thamesmead and Abbey Wood Opportunity Area . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161026210301/http://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/implementing-london-plan/opportunity-areas/opportunity-areas/thamesmead-abbey . 26 October 2016 . 21 December 2020 . London.gov.uk . Greater London Authority.
  25. Web site: 30 September 2020. TfL's Spending Review Prospectus – September 2020. 30 September 2020. Transport for London. 9–45.
  26. Web site: TfL Press Release – TfL and its partners commence further feasibility work on extending DLR into Thamesmead to support new homes and growth . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210127194754/https://tfl-newsroom.prgloo.com/news/tfl-press-release-tfl-and-its-partners-commence-further-feasibility-work-on-extending-dlr-into-thamesmead-to-support-new-homes-and-growth . 27 January 2021 . 2020-12-21 . tfl-newsroom.prgloo.com . Transport for London.
  27. Web site: 21 December 2020. TfL and partners commence feasibility work on extending DLR into Thamesmead. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201221114619/https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2020/december/tfl-and-partners-commence-f-feasibility-work-on-extending-dlr-into-thamesmead . 21 December 2020 . 2020-12-21. Transport for London. en-GB.
  28. Web site: December 2022 . London Borough of Newham - Draft Local Plan (Regulation 18) for Consultation . . a new Town Centre, connected by a DLR extension, at Beckton Riverside/Gallions Reach. Here, a new city district will provide homes, community facilities, modern industrial jobs and access to nature and the Thames..
  29. Web site: Transport for London . Transport for London . May 2023 . Thamesmead & Beckton Riverside Public Transport Programme – Strategic Outline Case . 27 April 2023 . London Borough of Newham.
  30. Web site: 16 June 2023 . TfL and partners progress public transport proposals to unlock Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside . 2023-06-25 . Transport for London . en-GB.
  31. Web site: Vickers . Noah . 2023-06-16 . Plans for DLR extension to Thamesmead take vital step forward . 2023-06-25 . Evening Standard . en.
  32. Web site: Extending the Docklands Light Railway to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead Have Your Say Transport for London . 2024-02-05 . haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk.
  33. Web site: Vickers . Noah . 2024-02-05 . Londoners to have their say on plans for cross-river DLR extension . 2024-02-05 . Evening Standard . en.
  34. Web site: FAQs Extending the Docklands Light Railway to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead Have Your Say Transport for London . 2024-02-05 . haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk . We have considered several options for an extension of the DLR, including potential onward extensions from Thamesmead to locations in Bexley, such as Belvedere..

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