Work will now progress to develop business case and further plans for the DLR extension to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead
Extension would support low-carbon developments in Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside, unlocking the delivery of 25,000 - 30,000 new homes along the extended route
Investment in this scheme would also support a UK-wide supply chain, supporting growth and job creation across the country
TfL planning a future consultation for a bus transit scheme from Woolwich to Abbey Wood via Thamesmead
Transport for London (TfL) has published the consultation report on plans for a cross-river extension of the DLR from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead, via Beckton Riverside. With the majority of respondents supportive of the proposals. 58 per cent of respondents said the extension would make their journeys quicker around their local area and 75 per cent said it would make journeys into wider east and southeast London easier.
The consultation, launched earlier this year, received 1,254 responses from members of the public and 29 from a range of stakeholders including pan-London transport user groups, local businesses, environmental groups, politicians and adjacent boroughs. In addition to the consultation, TfL ran sample polling in locations in Beckton, Gallions Reach, Thamesmead and Abbey Wood where 85 per cent supported or strongly supported the proposals.
The proposed DLR extension from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside would connect two Opportunity Areas, key locations with potential for new homes, jobs and infrastructure, and four development sites. This is one of a number of exciting opportunities to unlock the economic growth and housing developments the new Government is prioritising.
A new DLR station would be built at Beckton Riverside, with a tunnel built under the River Thames linked to another new DLR station at Thamesmead. It would build on experience from 2009 when the DLR was extended to Woolwich Arsenal, tunnelling beneath the River Thames, with housing growth following in areas including Woolwich, Canning Town, and the Royal Docks.
London's annual net contribution to the national economy is at a record £43.4bn. Investment in this scheme would support a UK-wide supply chain, supporting growth and job creation across the country. National Housing Federation analysis shows each new housing unit created at least one new job, so through this project we would create least as many jobs as housing units.
The DLR extension would also directly support the creation of up to 10,000 jobs, benefitting London and the national economy, and it would provide quicker journeys to other parts of east London like Stratford and the Isle of Dogs, with direct connections to central London via the Jubilee and Elizabeth lines, transforming housing, employment and leisure opportunities for the people who live in the area.
Alex Williams, TfL's Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, said: "It is great to see support to extend the DLR from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside, which presents a crucial opportunity to boost connectivity by linking two major growth areas with two new accessible stations.
"We will now progress work on plans for the cross-river extension of the DLR, which could see customers benefit from the early 2030s, and continue to discuss funding options with all parties."
TfL has been working together with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the London Borough of Newham and the Greater London Authority (GLA), as well as landowners Peabody, Lendlease, abrdn, St William (Berkeley Homes) and Homes England to support the delivery of new homes, improved town centres and better access to jobs within and from Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead. This will only be possible by improving public transport connections. The partnership is also working closely with Government, demonstrating the importance of the project to the local and wider area.
TfL and its partners submitted a Strategic Outline Case (SOC) to Government in 2023 outlining how an extension of the DLR could have a transformative effect on the area. An interim Outline Business Case (OBC) will now be developed with this work anticipated to be completed in spring 2025. The OBC will respond to Government feedback to the SOC and form the basis of future development and funding discussions.
The scheme is currently unfunded so part of this work includes developing a funding and financing strategy for the project, which would likely draw on funding from the private and public sectors, including TfL, local, regional and national sources. The aim is to agree an affordable solution by 2025, to enable construction to begin as early as 2028 and opening the DLR extension to customers in the early 2030s.
TfL also continues to discuss with Government its wider capital funding requirements and the link between transport investment, productivity and economic growth.
With significant growth pressures on London and the South East, transport and housing infrastructure must keep pace with demand. Forecasts suggest that London's population will have grown significantly by 2041, and that there will be at least an additional 800,000 jobs in the capital which will create the need for more housing.
Providing new public transport options like the DLR extension would support low-carbon developments in Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside, unlocking the delivery of 25,000-30,000 new homes along the extended route. It will also improve connectivity across the river and provide alternatives to private car use to lower future emissions and resulting pollution levels.
Investment in this scheme would support a UK-wide supply chain, supporting growth and job creation across the country. The DLR extension would also directly support the creation of up to 10,000 jobs, benefitting London and the national economy, and it would provide quicker journeys to other parts of east London like Stratford and the Isle of Dogs, with direct connections to central London via the Jubilee and Elizabeth lines, transforming housing, employment and leisure opportunities for the people who live in the area.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "I'm pleased to see public support for these plans to extend the DLR to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead, which will unlock huge opportunities for London, support tens of thousands of new homes, deliver new transport connections, and boost the economy, supporting the creation of thousands of jobs. Enabling the infrastructure needed for the capital's growth is key to building a better, more prosperous London for everyone."
Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Mayor of Newham, said: " I am delighted to see such strong community support for the proposed new DLR extension. The project has the potential to unlock a whole new development in the south of the borough, which would allow us to press ahead with plans to build more affordable homes, improve community spaces, as well as opening up the riverfront to all our residents.
"We will continue to apply our co-production model to ensure residents' voices are listened to and heard in all the important decisions we make to shape the future of the borough. So I welcome this vote of confidence in the extension plans and look forward to working with Newham residents and project partners as we take the next steps to make these plans a reality."
Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: "It is incredibly encouraging to see the support for extending the DLR to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead. This is a clear mandate from the community that improved connectivity is essential to unlocking the full potential of the area. From new jobs to thousands of new homes, extending the DLR will not only transform Thamesmead, it will also make our whole area of London easier and more convenient for people to and from. We are excited to move forward with this project and build the case to deliver the positive change residents deserve."
Notes to editors
- The consultation report can be viewed here https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/dlr-extension
- While the majority of respondents were supportive of the plans of the extensions to Thamesmead, many called on TfL to go further and extend beyond Thamesmead to Bexley, Belvedere or Abbey Wood, or beyond into Kent and Essex. Some respondents felt alternative transport options should be explored, such as an extension of the London Overground from Barking Riverside or the Elizabeth line from Abbey Wood or Woolwich.
- These options were fully considered before selecting the proposed route, with the DLR as the preferred one to take forward. Alternative options considered do not offer the same value for money or improvements to capacity and efficiency that is needed to unlock new development in Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead. The focus at this time remains on delivering a DLR extension to Thamesmead but opportunities to allow further extensions to be in delivered in the future will be investigated as the design is developed further.
- Removal of the safeguarding for the Thames Gateway Bridge will be explored with Government in favour of the DLR extension.
- TfL explored a number of other transport options including increasing the number and frequency of bus services in Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside, without a new rail service. Although this would improve links to local town centres and the rail network, this option alone would not provide the level of connectivity or capacity needed to enable the 25,000 - 30,000 planned new homes in the area.
- Some respondents suggested Thamesmead should be served by trams but improved bus transit is the preferred option to compliment the DLR extension as this could be delivered in advance as housing is developed in the area. Funding was announced by Government in the 2023 Autumn Statement to support housing development, improved town centres and better access to jobs (subject to approval of a business case), by delivering a bus transit scheme using dedicated infrastructure from Woolwich to Abbey Wood via Thamesmead. The potential new infrastructure would support not just the bus transit route, but many other bus routes in the area.
- A brand-new Superloop route, the SL3, was introduced between Thamesmead and Bromley earlier year and is part of a network of express routes in outer London connecting town centres, hospitals, schools and transport hubs and is a key part of the Mayor's commitment to improving the bus network in outer London. There are also wider proposals for upgrading existing DLR stations to cope with additional demand expected over the coming years.
- TfL is also introducing 54 new trains, with 33 replacing the oldest trains in the current DLR fleet and the remainder used to boost capacity and meet growing demand across the DLR network. These will be introduced from 2024, with the whole fleet in place by 2026.