Has a DLR extension to Thamesmead just been confirmed?
Has Chancellor Philip Hammond announced an extension of the DLR to Thamesmead in his budget to assist with building 19,000 homes?
Areas around Tripcock Point have long been on the agenda for many more homes but transport links have been lacking.
The Chancellor just announced money for the DLR to assist with 19,000 new homes. One of the main DLR aspirations is to Thamesmead, and coincidentally that’s the rough number of homes planned.
Peabody and Greenwich Council have been campaigning for the link.
Whilst any new public transport infrastructure is welcome, the DLR only reaching Thamesmead and not heading to Abbey Wood for quick Crossrail links will be a blow to many in Thamesmead if that indeed is what happens.
It’d still be quicker for many to go Abbey Wood then take the Elizabeth Line.
And the DLR offers less links north of the Thames compared to a London Overground extension from Barking Reach.
London Overground would head to Barking station from Thamesmead. Barking station has c2c and London Overground rail links as well as the District Line and Hammersmith and City Line.
The DLR doesn’t really go anywhere before Canary Wharf, which Crossrail will already offer from Abbey Wood.
Anyway, this is all very early days. Let’s see the details later.
I’d much prefer LO from Thamesmead over to tube lines in east London.
DLR takes people to Canary Wharf and Bank quite slowly. Some Thamesmead residents would still be better off on bus to Abbey Wood or Woolwich for Crossrail to reach those places quicker.
I guess less changes with DLR
To be honest it does not really make any sense extending the DLR to Abbey Wood from Thamesmead, this is because Custom house is only a few stops from Beckton. So what the residents from Thamesmead could do is take the DLR to Custom house and change to the Crossrail.
This would be beneficial because it will save money for TFL to open a a new DLR platform at Abbey Wood and the residents of Thamesmead will still have connections to the Crossrail from Custom House when you get the DLR straight to Custom House from Thamesmead.
Also, TFL should extend the Overground to Abbey Wood from Barking Riverside, this is because Abbey Wood already has a Overground station so no money would be spent on a new station only if it’s via Thamesmead then Thamesmead will have a new station with Both the DLR and The Overground. But the construction plan would need a secure funding for the construction on both the DLR and Overground because they are both crossing the River Thames.
Therefore, residents of Barking Riverside will be connected to Crossrail links easier because it’s an Overground train station to Abbey Wood and that gives connections to Custom House, Woolwich Arsenal and Canary Wharf.
My opinion is that there is no point of extending the DLR to Thamesmead when there’s Abbey Wood station with the crossrail connection for residents from Thamesmead
There is potential for Thamesmead to have an Overground station extending to Abbey Wood because Thamesmead is very close to Abbey Wood and residents of Thamesmead will still have connections to the Crossrail from Abbey Wood. There would not need to be and construction over the river unless it’s the Barking Riverside extending to Abbey Wood.