Extending the Docklands Light Railway to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead
UPDATE 19 MARCH 2024
The consultation has now closed. Thank you to everyone who responded. We are analysing your feedback and will report back shortly.
We would like to hear your views about our proposal to extend the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). Our preferred option is a cross-river extension of the DLR from Gallions Reach, with two new stations in Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead.
On this page you can find out more about our preferred option, as well as other options we considered and the planned next steps for the scheme. There is also more detail about how you can have your say, and more information about the vision for Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead.
You have until 18 March 2024 to give us your feedback.
Our preferred option for long term public transport improvements
Enhancing Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead
The need for more public transport
Other options we have considered
Other public transport information
How you can find out more
Tell us your views
Accessible Information
What happens next
Our preferred option for long term public transport improvements
We have considered several options to find the right public transport solution to serve Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside. These options were reviewed and compared based on cost, how quickly they could be delivered, their impact on the existing transport network and communities, and whether they met the wider objectives of supporting the maximum opportunity for new homes, jobs, and connections to retail and leisure activities.
We would now like your feedback on our preferred option of a cross-river extension of the DLR from Gallions Reach. This would include a new station at Beckton Riverside, a tunnel under the River Thames, and a new station in Thamesmead.
As part of this programme but separately to this consultation, we are also looking at a new bus transit scheme from Woolwich to Abbey Wood via Thamesmead to support our shared vision for the delivery of new homes, improved town centres and better access to jobs. We will consult you on this at a later date.
Our assessments have shown us that extending the DLR, building on providing a new bus transit scheme in Thamesmead in the shorter term, would:
- Provide the transport capacity needed to support the construction of up to 25,000 to 30,000 new homes
- Support development in Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead and create a new community for residents and visitors
- Provide better connections and quicker journeys across the River Thames to areas like London City Airport, Stratford, Abbey Wood Elizabeth line station and Canary Wharf
- Reduce car dependency by providing a high-quality public transport option, supporting a shift towards more sustainable transport and lower carbon emissions
- Connect communities to new job opportunities on both sides of the River Thames, supporting up to 10,000 new jobs
- Improve connections to east and central London both directly and by enabling easy interchange with the Jubilee line and Elizabeth line
We are still in the early stages of design and planning and will consider all feedback to this consultation when deciding whether to continue with the scheme.
Enhancing Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead
We have been working together with the Royal Borough of Greenwich and Newham Council, and landowners Peabody, Lendlease, abrdn and St William to support the delivery of new homes, improved town centres and better access to jobs in Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead. This will only be possible through improved public transport connections.
Our partnership is supported by Homes England, the Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and Department for Transport (DfT), and the Greater London Authority (GLA). This collaboration shows the importance of the project to the area.
Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead are two areas within the Thames Estuary Growth Corridor. They are critical to meeting London’s housing needs and supporting economic growth. The development sites at Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead Waterfront have the potential to create up to 25,000 to 30,000 new homes. This would be key to delivering on the Mayor of London’s commitment to deliver new homes for Londoners and the Government’s Levelling Up mission. This development will only be possible however if new public transport infrastructure is provided to make these isolated areas more accessible.
You can find out more about the vision for Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead on our supplementary information page.
The need for more public transport
The proposed regeneration of Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside relies on a significant improvement in access to public transport, connecting these areas to the rest of London. High-quality public transport would:
- Transform connectivity
- Improve capacity
- Unlock access to opportunities and jobs
- Support long-term growth.
Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside both lack direct rail services. Recent public transport extensions in other parts of London, including the London Overground extension to Barking Riverside, and the delivery of the Elizabeth line have been the catalyst for creating thousands of new homes and jobs, and connected communities to new retail and leisure activities.
We have reviewed several options for how we could provide more public transport to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead, maximising the connections to the existing transport network and giving communities better access to jobs and leisure activities.
Other options we have considered
Some of the other options we considered for new public transport to serve Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside are:
- Enhanced bus services (without a new rail service)
- A new tram service
- Extending the London Overground from Barking Riverside
- Alternative DLR extension options e.g. extending only to Beckton Riverside, or longer extensions beyond Thamesmead
We believe that an extension of the DLR is the right long-term solution because the alternative options do not offer the same value for money or improvements to capacity and efficiency that is needed for the area.
More detail about why we are not proposing to take these other options forward is available on our supplementary information page.
Other public transport information
The DLR extension would be part of a package of public transport improvements needed to support development in Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead. We are developing proposals for a bus transit scheme to run from Woolwich to Abbey Wood via Thamesmead, and reviewing the current safeguarding for the Thames Gateway Bridge.
How you can find out more
We have provided more information to help you respond. Visit the Documents section for:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- An Equalities Impact Assessment
- A copy of our consultation survey in case you would prefer to respond offline
You can use the questions tool on this page during the consultation period. We will respond your questions as soon as we can.
Drop-in events
We are holding in-person events where you can hear more about our proposals.
- Saturday 24 February Thamesmere Leisure Centre, Thamesmere Dr, London SE28 8RE (10:00-14:00)
- Monday 26 February The Nest, Cygnet Square, London SE2 9UH (15:00-19:00)
- Saturday 9 March Gallions Reach Retail Park, 3 Armada Wy, London E6 7ER (10:00-14:00)
- Tuesday 12 March Beckton Globe Library, 1 Kingsford Way, London E6 5JQ (15:00-19:00)
Please come along and let us know your views. If you are unable to attend and would like to discuss the proposals further with us, please get in touch and we can respond to your queries directly.
Accessible Information
We want to make sure everyone is able to take part in our consultations. To help make it accessible to everyone we have provided:
- An Easy Read version of our proposals and the survey
- An audio version of the proposals and survey
- You can translate the information on this page into another language by using the ‘Select Language’ button at the bottom of the page
Connecting with London's deaf community on our consultations
To further enhance how we consult with London's deaf community we offer:
- A British Sign Language (BSL) video of our proposals and survey
- A BSL conversation service. This allows the TfL consultation lead to have a two-way BSL translated discussion with a BSL user. To request a BSL conversation please contact us at haveyoursay@tfl.gov.uk and we will be in contact to arrange a convenient time
What happens next
We will use your feedback to this consultation to help us decide how to move forward with this project and what issues and impacts we need to consider. We will publish a Consultation Report later in the year which will respond to the issues raised in the consultation.
The report will be available to everyone that takes part in the consultation and a copy will be published on our website.
We will continue to work together with partners to develop our plans. We may hold further consultations in the future with more details about the scheme if we take these proposals forward.
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BSL videos
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British Sign Language (BSL) video
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British Sign Language (BSL) video
