Consultation starts on DLR’s Thamesmead extension

The formal consultation on plans to extend the DLR from Beckton to Thamesmead has opened, paving the way — eventually — to building the railway.

Proposed extension (c) TfL

The proposed DLR extension to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside would connect two Opportunity Areas and four development sites. A new DLR station would be built on the north side of the Thames, at Beckton Riverside, with a tunnel under the river to another new DLR station at Thamesmead.

There’s also an option preserved in the design to extend the DLR beyond Thamesmead towards Belvedere. An option to extend the link up with Abbey Wood was ruled out a long time ago as not only much more expensive but also not offering the wider benefits that an eastward expansion could deliver.

(A London Overground extension was also ruled out a long time ago)

TfL, along with Greenwich and Newham councils, and the three major landowners – Thamesmead Waterfront (a joint venture between Peabody and Lendlease), abrdn (formerly Aberdeen Standard Investments) and St William (a Berkeley Group company) – have all been working for several years to develop plans for the area.

The development sites at Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead Waterfront which would be linked by the DLR have the potential to create up to 25,000 to 30,000 new homes.

Beckton and Thamesmead from above (c) TfL

Although work has been underway for several years on the extension plans, the aim so far has been on developing an affordable extension, which if funding is approved, would enable construction to begin as early as 2028 and opening the DLR extension to customers in the early 2030s.

Ahead of that, they need to hold public consultations, and the first official consultation is now open.

The consultation seeking feedback from the public will be open until 18th March 2024 — and if you want to comment, do so on the consultation page here.

It should go without saying, which is why it needs saying — but commenting below or on social media won’t affect the outcome. If you want your views taken into consideration, respond to the consultation.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Although we have started a record-breaking 116,000 plus genuinely affordable homes and completed more homes of all types since any time since the 1930s, the demand for housing in London shows no sign of slowing down.

“I’m excited for TfL to launch this consultation - extending the DLR 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.”

In the meantime, there’s a separate plan for a bus transit scheme linking Thamesmead to Woolwich, which would help bring forward housing developments that would otherwise have to wait for the DLR to be built.