Thamesmead DLR plan heads for legal approval after 553 consultation responses

Transport for London will seek legal permission early in 2027 to build a DLR branch from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead, with a new stop at Beckton Riverside. The decision follows a summer consultation on the £1.7bn line, the third and last, in which responses showed strong support for the plan.

A total of 553 responses came in, 527 from members of the public and 26 from stakeholder groups. Earlier rounds set out the broad scheme. This time the questions were about detail, such as the design of the two stations and the disruption building work would bring to people living nearby. TfL says it will use the answers to refine the scheme before it applies for a Transport and Works Act Order. That order, if granted, would approve the two stations and the route across the Thames.

Thamesmead DLR extension: timetable and train frequency

Building could start by 2029, provided the Government signs a funding deal and the permissions come through. The first passengers could then travel in the early 2030s. The work would be paid for with borrowing, to be repaid over time from possible future direct Government funding and from new income generated by the line, such as fares on the new section.

TfL’s initial plan is a Thamesmead train, running via Beckton Riverside, every 8 to 10 minutes, with Beckton trains at the same frequency. On the shared stretch from Canning Town out to Gallions Reach, that adds up to a train every 4 or 5 minutes. Where Thamesmead services go after Canning Town will be settled closer to opening.

Concerns raised in the DLR consultation

Some people feared the branch would weaken services on other parts of the network. TfL’s answer was that its 54 new DLR trains, now being rolled out, can cope with the extra passengers. Others wanted the line to carry on to Abbey Wood. TfL said that was unaffordable for now, and that adding another station in Thamesmead would affect the area too heavily.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, pointed to the Government’s support for the plans in last year’s Budget. He said the line could “transform travel” in a part of London that has “historically lacked the public transport connections it needs”. Rachel Reeves, the former Chancellor, gave the project priority over others last November and said she expected it to unlock 30,000 new homes.

Lord Len Duvall, who represents Greenwich and Lewisham on the London Assembly, said he had campaigned for the extension for years. In his view it would shorten journeys and give Thamesmead a direct link into the wider network.

Separately, TfL is drawing up road changes along the route from Woolwich to Abbey Wood through Thamesmead, aimed at faster bus journeys and better conditions for walking and cycling. One proposal is a link joining the two ends of Barnham Drive that only buses, people on bikes and people on foot could use.