Docklands Light Railway extension to Dagenham Dock

The Docklands Light Railway extension to Dagenham Dock was a proposed extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Dagenham Dock in East London, to serve the Barking Riverside development and the wider Thames Gateway area.

First proposed in 2003,[1] it was anticipated that the project could be completed and open for use by 2017,[2] at a cost of around £750m.[3] In November 2008, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced that due to financial constraints the extension, along with a number of other transport projects, had been cancelled.[4] The Barking Riverside development is now served by an extension of the London Overground to a new station at Barking Riverside which opened in July 2022.[5] Costing around £325m, the Overground extension cost around half as much as the DLR extension.[6]

Proposed route and stations

The proposed route would have diverged from the Beckton branch at Gallions Reach station in the London Borough of Newham. It would have followed the River Thames north bank, crossing the mouth of the River Roding in a bored tunnel south of the Barking Flood Barrier. Here the route would have entered the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, following the River Thames on a viaduct before heading northwards to reach Goresbrook and Dagenham Dock.[7] It was envisaged that four new stations would be built, with additional platforms at the existing c2c station at Dagenham Dock.

The 2007 consultation noted that the DLR could be extended further from Dagenham Dock, such as north towards Dagenham Heathway or east towards Rainham.[8] The London Borough of Barking and Dagenham supported these additional extensions, provided it could be achieved without negatively impacting on existing infrastructure in the area.[9]

Station localeLondon borough
Beckton RiversideNewham
CreekmouthBarking and Dagenham
Barking RiversideBarking and Dagenham
Goresbrook (formerly Dagenham Vale)Barking and Dagenham
Dagenham Dock National Rail (existing station)Barking and Dagenham

Project development

The extension of the DLR was first proposed in 2003 as part of the Thames Gateway project.[1] In 2007 a number of route options went to public consultation, with a decision made in November. An application for a Transport and Works Act order was made during 2008.[10] A public inquiry was due to take place but this was postponed, following the announcement by Mayor of London Boris Johnson in November 2008 that the project had been cancelled.[11]

Following the cancellation of the extension, Transport for London assessed various options to bring transport links to Barking Riverside,[12] including the previously proposed DLR extension[13] - as planning regulations limit the number of homes to 1,200 until adequate public transport is provided.[14]

Subsequently, the Gospel Oak to Barking Line of the London Overground was extended from Barking to a new station in Barking Riverside to serve the area. This opened in July 2022,[5] at a cost of around £325m.[15]

References
  1. "DLR extension planned". New Civil Engineer. 1 March 2003. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  2. Transport for London - Docklands Light Railway - Dagenham Dock: Key Project Milestones Archived 15 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Johnson, Marc (12 September 2017). "In focus: London Overground's Barking Riverside Extension". RailStaff. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  4. "TfL scraps projects and cuts jobs". BBC News. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  5. "London Overground: Opening date of first new stop since 2015 confirmed". BBC News. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
  6. Horgan, Rob (7 December 2020). "TfL's Barking Riverside Extension suffers year delay and another cost hike". New Civil Engineer. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  7. Transport for London - Docklands Light Railway - Dagenham Dock Archived 4 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Proposals for a DLR Dagenham Dock Extension - January 2007 – Consultation Leaflet no.1" (PDF). Docklands Light Railway. January 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2022. Agreeing a solution that allows a terminus to be built at the Dagenham Dock station area or considering alternative options beyond this. The plan below shows routes that are being considered between Gallions Reach and Dagenham Dock (and potentially beyond).
  9. "Decision - Docklands Light Rail (DLR) Dagenham Dock Extension - Response to Consultation". London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. 29 May 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2022. Discussed the regeneration, development and associated public transport expansion opportunities that could arise from an extension to the DLR and, in particular, the potential negative impact on existing infrastructure of a longer-term vision of the DLR being extending up to Dagenham Heathway.
  10. Transport for London - DLR Extension to Dagenham Dock Archived 7 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  11. "TfL scraps projects and cuts jobs". BBC News. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
  12. "London Overground Barking Riverside Extension Transport Options Backcheck Report" (PDF). Transport for London. July 2016.
  13. "Mayor's Transport Strategy, Chapter five—transport proposals". Transport for London. Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  14. "Boris Johnson calls for creation of new 'garden suburb' in Barking and Dagenham". Evening Standard. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
  15. Horgan, Rob (7 December 2020). "TfL's Barking Riverside Extension suffers year delay and another cost hike". New Civil Engineer. Archived from the original on 7 December 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
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