The prospect of extending the Docklands Light Railway has been firmly in the pipeline since the idea was first proposed back in 2019. It’s remained resolutely at the very top of the wish-list for many south-east Londoners ever since. And so, it’ll likely come as rail-y good news to them that a rather monumental step chug has just been taken in the direction of finally making it a reality.
Transport for London has just launched a public consultation, inviting locals to put their two cents in on the prospective plans. The DLR extension will see the line elongated from Gallions Reach (where the Beckton branch currently ends) to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead – adding two shiny new stations and a tunnel beneath the Thames on-route.
TfL is now offering Londoners the chance to have their say on the potential designs and accessibility of the new stations as well as the impact they think that the construction would have on the local community and the environment.
It turns out that constructing two stations and a rather hefty under-water tunnel comes complete with an equally hefty price-tag. The work is expected to cost around £1.62 billion, and the government confirmed its support in last year’s Autumn Budget.
If all goes to plan in terms of the necessary funding and approvals, construction could begin in 2029. And the extension could up and running in the early 2030s. The extension will be welcomed with particularly open arms by those living in Thamesmead; a notoriously terribly-connected corner of the capital. In fact, Thamesmead is currently the only area of London without a direct Tube or train link – but all that is about to change.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “This is something I’ve long called for – alongside London’s businesses and communities – because it will not only transform travel in a historically underserved part of our city, but also unlock thousands of new jobs and homes, boosting the economy across the capital and indeed the country.”
The public consultation will be running until July 16 – you can find out more and have your say here.
