04.12.15
Last chance to have a say on Gospel Oak-Barking extension
Transport for London (TfL) has today launched the final consultation on the new rail link from Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside before it seeks permission from transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin to start construction.
The proposed 4km extension will see the London Overground Gospel Oak to Barking line extended to serve a new station at the heart of the east London’s largest housing development side.
It will also take four trains per hour to Barking, where passengers will be able to connect with District and Hammersmith & City Tube services and c2c services into Fenchurch Street station.
The consultation focuses on the details of the proposed route, such as the amount of land required to build the extension, its operation and proposed construction locations. Funding for the project is entirely available since the government has agreed to loan TfL £55m for it.
The consultation ends on 24 January of next year and is available on TfL’s dedicated website.
A previous consultation in spring of this year found that the preferred route option was ‘alignment B’, meaning both lines would run in parallel along a single viaduct. The viaduct would pass over the freight terminal and Choats Road before dropping under the power lines and continuing into Barking Riverside.
In January, TfL found that 90% of respondents to a separate consultation, which ran from September to October 2014, were supportive of the extension.