London’s TfL has announced that work will now progress to develop a business case and further plans for the £1bn Docklands Light Railway (DLR) extension to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead, after a consultation showed overwhelming support for the scheme.
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.
“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.” said Alex Williams, TfL’s Chief Customer and Strategy Officer.
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% 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.
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.
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.
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