Work will progress to develop the business case and further plans for an extension to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), following substantial public support.
The proposed extension to the route would support low-carbon developments in Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside and enable the delivery of more than 25,000 new homes and 10,000 jobs. Two new stations would be built at Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead, linked by a tunnel under the River Thames.
A public consultation which was open in February and March earlier this year invited the public and stakeholders to give their feedback on the possibility of a cross-river extension of the DLR from Gallions Reach to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead.
Transport for London (TfL) has revealed that the consultation received 1254 responses from members of the public and 29 from a range of stakeholders. 58% of respondents said the extension would make their journeys quicker around the local area, while 75% said that it would make journeys into east and southeast London more straightforward.
TfL also ran sample polling in Beckton, Gallions Reach, Thamesmead and Abbey Wood, finding that 85% of locals supported or strongly supported the proposals.
Alex Williams, TfL's Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, said: "It is great to see support to extend the DLR from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside, which presents a crucial opportunity to boost connectivity by linking two major growth areas with two new accessible stations.
The project will draw on experience from a similar project in 2009, when the DLR was extended to Woolwich Arsenal, tunnelling underneath the Thames and supporting housing development in Woolwich, Canning Town and the Royal Docks.
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