TFL are looking for contractors for a DLR extension in Thamesmead London’s only postcode area without a train station.

According to a government tender, construction is expected to commence in 2027 and will be completed in 2033.

Deputy Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee,  Thomas Turrell, says the DLR will “put Thamesmead on the map” after TFL announced the extension.

This month, the government sent out a notice to contractors and investors for the project. The plans include a new station at Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside and a 1.5km cross river tunnel. The project is estimated to cost £1.62 billion. The last DLR extension in 2009 cost £900 million.

City News found current routes from Thamesmead Town Centre to Bank station currently range from 1 hour 2 minutes to 1 Hour 18 minutes.

The trains to Thamesmead will run on the Beckton line, potentially halving some travel times. Services are expected to run every 8-10 minutes to the station. To get to Stratford it is expected to take 25-30 minutes, and an expected 20-25 minutes to Canary Wharf.

Photo Credit: Transport for London

A local resident said the expansion will be “a good thing” and “long overdue for “commuters and residents”.

Plans for an extension date back to 2010. Currently, Thamesmead, West Thamesmead and Thamesmead East residents must take a bus to local stations, Abbey Wood (Elizabeth line) or Woolwich Arsenal (DLR, Elizabeth Line, National Rail).

Whilst South East London is on the TFL network, it is not served by the London underground as much as other London regions.

Thamesmead is a “blind spot” for rail travel, according to Deputy Chair of The London Assembly Transport Committee, Thomas Turrell. He commended the extension calling it a “great opportunity” to “expand access to the TFL network and to create jobs and investment”.

The station will be built in Thamesmead Town Centre. This latest development is part of what TFL call “the vision for growth” of Thamesmead and Beckton. the extension across both sites is expected to create 10,000 jobs and 30,000 new homes.

The area is also expected to be one of the governments “new towns”. A plan championed by House Secretary Steve Reed.

Turrell added: “It impacts decisions about investing in the local area. So, by bringing the DLR to Thamesmead, and I hope even further, extending the Elizabeth line, all these things will put South East London onto the map and really make sure that the people know this is a place to invest, bring opportunities to unlock housing”.