DLR extension to Thamesmead

Featured in the Future Transport London Newsletter April 2026

By Neil Roth

In an article dated 13/01/26, Murky Depths says that TfL ….seemingly fail to realise many in Thamesmead – both existing and future residents – will want to reach Abbey Wood or Woolwich for the Elizabeth line and so persist with the flawed DLR project which will do nothing to improve that situation.’

The current DLR project is intended to serve new housing on both sides of the river: at Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead Waterfront. Beckton Riverside currently has no public transport. Plans for the Thamesmead Waterfront envisage up to around 15,000 new homes as part of a major brownfield redevelopment project on the southern bank of the Thames.

For anyone who will be living or working within the 400 metres walk-in catchment (or a short bus/cycle ride) of both planned new DLR stations, the DLR project will improve accessibility enormously. Isn’t that to be welcomed, especially if the public transport is in place before the new housing is occupied?

The Royal Docks & Beckton Riverside Opportunity Area planning framework envisages around 36,300–38,600 new homes across the whole Opportunity Area (which includes Beckton Riverside and nearby sites), contingent on transport improvements like the DLR extension.

Thamesmead comprises about 7.6 square km of land. Initially, with only one DLR station at Thamesmead Waterfront, it is obvious that many residents of other parts of Thamesmead will still find it quicker to get into Central London by joining the Elizabeth line at Woolwich or Abbey Wood via the bus network.

However, Thamesmead Waterfront DLR station will be designed to enable any later DLR extension deeper into Thamesmead and beyond. We were assured that by TfL staff when FTL attended one of the drop-in sessions for the public consultation on the current project. When any later extension is built, there would be more DLR stations and more Thamesmead residents living within a 400-metre walk-in catchment of them (or a short bus/cycle ride away), so a greater proportion of Thamesmead residents would benefit from DLR access.

In our response to the public consultation, FTL suggested two potential further extension options from the Waterfront station through Thamesmead to Abbey Wood: so, the situation for Thamesmead residents travelling via Abbey Wood would be improved by a later phase of the DLR project.

According to TfL’s report on the public consultation, FTL were far from the only respondents suggesting further extensions of the DLR.