A day early, or several weeks late, depending on your perspective, Custom House station has reopened to the public.

It was due to reopen in “late December”, but it was noted in a TfL paper in November that the “station upgrade suffered from slow design approval which may result in a delay to the station re-opening”. And indeed it did, with the official opening date pushed back to Monday 8th January.

In fact, it had a soft-opening today at around 2pm.

The station is barely ready to be opened though, whatever the design changes were, they’ve evidently affected the station badly. Even as it opens, the planned step-free access to Victoria Dock road won’t be ready, and much of the platform is still covered up in builders hoardings.

Above the platforms, the new mezzanine deck is still being built, which will link the DLR platforms with the Elizabeth line next door.

The Elizabeth line platforms are still being fitted out, and as Diamond Geezer noted the other week, the first platform roundel has appeared, as has the first line roundel, underneath the footbridge.

The station was also largely manufactured off-site at a Laing O’Rourke facility near Sheffield then re-assembled at Custom House, so the station is largely a prefab design.

It will also have a roof made from transparent plastic material, EFTE, similar to the material that was used at the Eden Project in Cornwall.

The Elizabeth line platforms will be accessed via a long upper floor, which should help to absorb crowds visiting the ExCel centre and get them off the narrower platforms quickly.

When the Elizabeth line opens, while it may seem obvious that its main customer base will be the ExCel centre next door, in fact, its catchment area will be far wider, as Newham council plans a major redevelopment of the area.

Away with low rise council flats, and hello to towers, housing 5,000 people.

Some photos:

The new Elizabeth line platforms from outside

The first platform roundel

Elizabeth line close up

Note the space on the sign for an extra railway line to be added later

Two roundels

Elizabeth line station from the footbridge

Artist impression

The actual end result

Future entrance to the new platforms

Overlooking the Elizabeth line’s westbound platform

Unfinished stairs to the Elizabeth line

Not opened yet — were open an hour later

The DLR platforms from the footbridge

Rebuilt staircase

Custom House DLR platforms

First DLR train following reopening.

Still working on loads of building works.

The paving on the floor is new

Temporary station signs on the hoardings.

DLR and Elizabeth line next to each other

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6 comments
  1. Andrew Gwilt says:

    Few days ago. London Bridge reopened. As the Thameslink project is almost completed.

    Now Custom House DLR has reopened and from late this year-Custom House Elizabeth Line station and platforms will be opened with Elizabeth Line trains operating between Whitechapel and Abbey Wood before the Central part opens next year along with trains to Reading, Maidenhead, Heathrow Terminal 4 and Heathrow Terminal 5 coming to & from Abbey Wood and Shenfield. That will start operating.

  2. Andy says:

    It’s a shame that the trees from the artists impression haven’t been planted (or the bike racks built). Would break up the wasteland in front of the station!

    • Chris M says:

      Hopefully the trees will come later. Winter is not the best time to plant them, and its often best to wait until after the main heavy building works are done as then they’re less likely to get damaged.

      Unless they’d be in the way, those aren’t reason for the lack of bike racks though

    • Ian Visits says:

      There are extensive bike racks around the other side of the staircase.

  3. SteveP says:

    Are the lifts broken yet? Or will they be the special TfL type that only function if you can find that highly trained staff member to operate them?

    • andrew says:

      well no – they will be open as public – there no need for staff use

      reason – they are not finished with lifts

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