Transport for London (TfL) is inviting people to have their say on the proposals for the cross-river extension of the DLR from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside.
This latest consultation, which outlines the preferred route and station locations for the public to feedback on, follows a positive response to the initial consultation held last year, where 75 per cent of respondents said that the proposals would make journeys into the wider east and southeast London quicker. Sample polling, conducted by TfL in Beckton, Gallions Reach, Thamesmead and Abbey Wood also found that 85 per cent of those polled supported or strongly supported the proposals.
TfL is proposing a new station at Beckton Riverside opposite Gallions Reach Shopping Park. The new station would form part of a redeveloped town centre, with residential developments, employment, retail and community facilities. At Thamesmead, the proposed site would be located at Thamesmead Waterfront, part of a 100-hectare site proposed regeneration site owned by Peabody. The site offers potential to deliver thousands of new homes and jobs, alongside a new and expanded town centre. A station here would also mean faster and easier journeys to jobs, education and leisure, with journey times of around 25 minutes to Stratford, around 30 minutes to London Bridge, and around 35 minutes to the West End (Tottenham Court Road).
TfL is seeking views on:
- The proposed route and new station locations
- Impacts on the existing transport network and local communities
- Early environmental assessments and construction considerations
- How the extension could be delivered
The plans would support the delivery of new transport links, homes and regeneration in Thamesmead and Beckton. The consultation is open from Monday 23 June to Sunday 17 August 2025, and public feedback received will help shape the next stages of design and development, ahead of a further consultation next year focused on environmental and construction impacts.
TfL has been working together with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the London Borough of Newham and the Greater London Authority (GLA), as well as landowners Peabody, Lendlease, Aberdeen Investments, St William (Berkeley Homes) and Homes England to support the delivery of new homes, improved town centres and better access to jobs within and from Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead. This will only be possible by improving public transport connections. The partnership is also working closely with Government, demonstrating the importance of the project to the local and wider area.
The proposed DLR extension from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside would connect two Opportunity Areas, key locations identified in the Mayor’s London Plan with potential for new homes, jobs and infrastructure, and four development sites. Thamesmead Waterfront and Beckton Riverside are the two of the largest remaining brownfield sites in London but the development potential of these sites is currently constrained by the lack of direct access to rail services. As part of the plans, a new DLR station would be built at Beckton Riverside, with a tunnel built under the River Thames linked to another new DLR station at Thamesmead. It would build on experience from 2009 when the DLR was extended to Woolwich Arsenal, tunnelling beneath the River Thames, with housing growth following in areas including Woolwich, Canning Town, and the Royal Docks.
Once delivered, the DLR extension to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead would provide a huge economic boost for London and the UK, unlocking 145 hectares of brownfield land and establish two new residential communities with up to 30,000 new homes and 10,000 jobs in two of the most deprived boroughs across the country. TfL estimates that this would have a total economic impact of around £15.6 billion, helping to deliver the Government’s growth mission. The DLR has been instrumental in transforming east London since it opened in 1987, with previous extensions to Lewisham, Woolwich Arsenal and Beckton all supporting new homes and jobs around the new stations and providing faster connections to central London.
Recent success stories such as the Elizabeth line and the London Overground extension to Barking Riverside demonstrate how high-quality public transport are a catalyst for new homes, jobs, and vibrant town centres.
In the recent Spending review, the Government agreed a much-needed multi-year capital funding agreement for TfL, which will allow delivery of a programme of sustainable investment. TfL also has a set of as-yet unfunded enhancement projects in the pipeline that could further support new housing, jobs and deliver economic growth, such as this proposed extension of the DLR to Thamesmead, West London Orbital and the Bakerloo line extension. The most advanced discussions relate to the extension of the DLR to Thamesmead, where there is widespread positivity about the business case for the scheme and a commitment by the Government to work together with TfL and the GLA to finalise a full business case and funding plan by autumn this year.
Alex Williams, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, said: "The case to extend the DLR from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside is clear as it provides a crucial opportunity to create new homes, jobs and economic growth by linking two major growth areas with two new accessible stations.
"It’s really important to get feedback from those who may benefit from the extension in future, as this will help shape the scheme as we progress through to the next stages of planning."
TfL intends to submit a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) application in autumn 2026. Subject to funding and approval, construction could begin in the late 2020s, with the extension open in the early 2030s.
TfL is also designing a new bus transit scheme, providing new and improved bus, cycle and pedestrian infrastructure to strengthen bus connections and reliability between Thamesmead and transport hubs at Woolwich and Abbey Wood. This would support the delivery of new homes, improved town centres and better access to jobs. TfL will consult on this in due course.
Muniya Barua, Deputy Chief Executive of BusinessLDN, said: "Extending the DLR to Thamesmead is key to unlocking the new homes and jobs that Londoners need.
“Getting shovels in the ground to deliver this project is also vital so that the capital can realise its full potential as an engine of growth for the whole UK.”
“The Government should build on warm words in the Spending Review and urgently provide clarity on funding so that construction can begin as quickly as possible."
A spokesperson for the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: "Extending the DLR would transform Thamesmead and provide a huge connectivity boost to south-east London and beyond. Thamesmead is the only London postcode without a direct train link, and our residents deserve the same connectivity as the rest of the capital. As we’ve seen with the Elizabeth Line in Woolwich, a new station could reimagine Thamesmead and unlock up to 10,000 homes, thousands of jobs and new public spaces too. We encourage all our residents and businesses to get involved with this conversation and give TfL your views so we can move forward."
Image credit: Transport for London & iStock
