The long-running saga over the future of Beam Park station in east London appears to be making some progress, and a report into its viability could be ready by the spring.
Beam Park site plan
The station was due to be built on the C2C line near Dagenham Dock as part of a large housing development of 10,000 homes, unlocking the potential for many more later.
However, the plans drawn up by the local council and the developer in 2014 to build the station for Network Rail and the train company to manage hit an unexpected roadblock in late 2021 when the Department for Transport (DfT) refused to authorise the opening of the station, for reasons which later trickled out, that they were concerned about its economic viability.
Since then, attempts have been made to overcome the stalemate, and the Greater London Authority (GLA) has offered to cover any running cost losses for ten years after the station opens while the housing is developed.
With the intention to eventually build upwards of 20,000 new homes around Beam Park station, it’s a challenge to understand an argument put forward that the station couldn’t cover its running costs, even factoring in abstraction from their neighbouring stations and the impact an extra station would have on c2c’s timetable.
The DfT’s last publically stated position was to require a longer commitment from the GLA to cover the station’s running costs, which has seemed at odds with its willingness to open stations elsewhere in the country with far fewer houses planned around them.
Fortunately, work on resolving the disagreement has been progressing behind the scenes, with the GLA and Havering Council redoing the transport modelling and operational cost modelling exercise, working alongside the Department for Transport (DfT) and the train company, c2c.
Although a decision had been expected late last year, one may likely be made now this summer. The delay has been put down to issues agreeing on the scope of the work needed and securing the necessary staff from the various organisations involved.
A recent letter from the Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance to Jon Cruddas MP indicates that the final report will be ready by the end of April 2024, which would then need to be presented to all the involved parties before an agreement can be reached.
The letter is suggestive that the train company, c2c, already believes that the station can be accommodated in its network. However, hard numbers from the new report will be needed to secure the necessary approvals.
Only then can work start on building Beam Park station, and the long-delayed opening finally take place.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London, said: “The GLA is committed to working on the delivery of Beam Park Station. We strongly believe that investing in key infrastructure, like the new rail station at Beam Park, is essential to improving public transport for local people, supporting the construction of thousands of new homes and wider regeneration in this part of London.
The GLA continues to work with the Department for Transport, LB Havering, C2C and Network Rail to find a way forward for this important project. Further technical work to assess the impact of the station on the wider network is still ongoing and is expected to continue until Spring 2024.”
Beam Park station concept image
Getting the station approved would also unlock the Grampian Condition in the housing development, which requires the railway station to open before they can lift the number of homes built from the current limit of 6,000 to possibly as many as 20,000 new homes in confirmed plots, and potentially more on other sites nearby.
This really is chicken and egg isn’t it!
Can’t open the station until the houses (and hence paying customers to use the station) are built. But you can’t build the bulk of the houses until the station is built.
UK government once again ideologically opposed to even the most sensible of developments if they’re in London
Leveling up means things have to be build outside London first but there is no economic case so not enough money so nothing happens. 🙁
Levelling up is not exclusively a policy for projects outside London as the city has plenty of poverty of its own and Levelling up funding, rightly, can be spent in London as well.
I do not understand why the Beams Park development hasn’t progressed further when building sites at either end of the proposed redevelopment are within a mile of Rainham station at the eastern end and Dagenham at the western end. They chose to start the build in the middle, around a station they did not have the required authorisations to build.
This has left many businesses in the area in limbo for 7 years not knowing if a CPO will be issued on their land/building or not. The way people are being treated around this issue is reminiscent of the Post Office, a complete absence of concern for the people who’s lives are detrimentally effected by their actions.