Transport
for
London


has
launched
a
consultation
into
a
proposed
extension
of
the
Docklands
Light
Railway
from
Gallions
Reach
to
a
new
station
at
Beckton
Riverside,
and
then
through
a
tunnel
under
the
river
to
Thamesmead.
A
further
section
beyond
Thamesmead
is
also
possible,
towards
Erith.

If
the
new
line
went
ahead,
it
would
echo
plans
to
connect
Thamesmead
to
a
rail
network
which
go
back
to
the
1970s,
when
the
second
phase
of
the
Fleet
Line,
which
became
the
Jubilee
Line,
was
intended
to
reach
the
riverside
development.

The
latest
proposal
is
connected
with
the
building
of
up
to
30,000
homes
along
the
proposed
route.
TfL
said
alternative
forms
of
transport,
such
as
buses,
would
not
provide
enough
capacity.

It
added
that
the
scheme
would
‘build
on
experience
from
2009
when
the
DLR
was
extended
to
Woolwich
Arsenal,
tunnelling
beneath
the
River
Thames,
with
housing
growth
following
in
areas
including
Woolwich,
Canning
Town,
and
the
Royal
Docks’.

Forecasts
suggest
that
London’s
population
will
have
grown
significantly
by
2041,
and
that
there
will
be
at
least
an
additional
800,000
jobs
in
the
capital,
which
will
create
the
need
for
more
housing.

Mayor
of
London
Sadiq
Khan
said:
‘Although
we
have
started
a
record-breaking
116,000
plus
genuinely
affordable
homes
and
completed
more
homes
of
all types
since
any
time since
the
1930s,
the
demand
for
housing
in
London
shows
no
sign
of
slowing
down.

‘Extending
the
DLR
will
unlock
huge
opportunities
for
London,
support
tens
of
thousands
of
new
homes,
deliver
new
transport
connections,
and
boost
the
economy, supporting
the
creation
of
thousands
of
jobs.
Enabling
the
infrastructure
needed
for
the
capital’s
growth
is
key
to
building
a
better,
more
prosperous
London
for
everyone.’

The
aim
is
to
agree
an
affordable
scheme
by
next
year,
so
that
construction
can
begin
in
2028.
The
new
extension
could
open
in
the
early
2030s.

The
consultation
runs
until
18
March.
The
views
of
the
public
will
then
be
considered
as
part
of
the
preparation
of
an
Outline
Business
Case.