03.01.19
TfL awards £196m contract for Barking Riverside Overground extension
TfL has awarded a £196m contract to build a 4.5km rail extension of the London Overground to Barking Riverside to a joint venture of Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure and VolkerFitzpatrick (MSVF).
The overground extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking Line, from the Tilbury Loop Line between Barking and Dagenham Dock stations to Barking Riverside, is part of the Barking Riverside development.
Up to 10,800 new homes will be built on the 180-hectare site on the northern bank of the River Thames, transforming one of Europe’s largest brownfield sites.
MSVF has been selected by TfL to deliver the transport infrastructure, with construction due to start in early 2019 and train services planned from late 2021.
Under the contract, MSVF will deliver the Barking Riverside extension, reconfigure Network Rail’s Ripple Lane goods yard to allow the extension to connect to the Tilbury Loop, and construct two viaducts over the Ripple Lane yard and over Renwick.
Gareth Powell, TfL's managing director of surface transport, welcomed the deal, saying investment in transport infrastructure is vital to unlocking homes, jobs and economic growth.
He commented: “Awarding this contract to build the London Overground extension is the next exciting step in the Barking Riverside development, which will enable the delivery of up to 10,800 new homes and the creation of new healthcare and leisure facilities.”
The managing director for Barking Riverside Limited, Matthew Carpen, said: “This is another major milestone for the project, as we continue to steam ahead in the delivery of 10,800 homes for East London.
“The construction of the rail line and new London Overground station is the single most important part of unlocking the true potential of this amazing riverside site, allowing residents and visitors to go to and from central London in as little as 22 minutes and firmly putting Barking Riverside on the map as a Zone 4 destination.”
The £196m transport infrastructure project was outlined as one of the major projects in TfL’s recent five-year business plan.
The leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Darren Rodwell, called the contract “great news” and “vital to the development of Barking Riverside and realising the potential of the whole area.”