The DLR extension to Thamesmead just got a step closer to being built

Able to reach the depths of east London without an on-board driver, the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is the underdog of TfL’s train network, and soon you’ll likely be able to get yourself all the way to Thamesmead on it. TfL has revealed that it is officially taking plans to extend the DLR to the next stage. 

Never been to Thamesmead? That’s probably because it’s notoriously difficult to get to. Despite only being next to Greenwich, there are currently no train or tube connections to the neighbourhood. 

But that could all soon change. Last week TfL announced it will proceed with plans for new DLR tracks following a public consultation which found that 75 percent of respondents support extending the line to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead. The proposed extension would speed up journeys into the city centre for 30,000 Londoners, also better connecting southeast London to hubs like Stratford and the lsle of Dogs.

Perhaps easier said than done, the extension would require a new tunnel to be built under the Thames in order to connect Gallion Reach (where the DLR currently ends) with a proposed new station at Beckton Riverside. Another new DLR station will need to be built at Thamesmead. 

Expected to cost up to £1.7bn, TfL will have to submit a business case before reaching for the hard hats and high vis. If it gets the go ahead, it’s estimated the project would deliver up to 10,000 new jobs, with construction starting in 2028. 

The plans have faced some criticism for not extending to Abbey Wood, where it could link up with the Lizzie line, or connecting with City Airport, which is currently served by the Woolwich branch of the DLR.

Time Out and the Thamesmead DLR extension

It feels like whispers of extending the DLR to Thamesmead have been around for ages – and we’ve covered plenty of rumours over the years here at Time Out. Plans were initially floated way back in the 2010s, but feasibility studies eventually took place in 2023 and earlier this year London Mayor Sadiq Khan hinted the DLR could eventually go all the way to Belvedere. Plus, here are some sneak previews of the brand-new DLR trains arriving later this year. 

Did you see that TfL is spending a whopping £30 million on making the tube quieter?

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