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Mayor Gives The Green Light For London Overground Extension To Barking Riverside

Written by Amy
  • TfL to apply for powers to start construction of the 4.5km rail extension.
  • Overground extension will unlock development potential, including the building of 10,800 new homes.

The Mayor of London has signalled his support for a vital rail extension to serve east London’s largest housing development site, by asking Transport for London (TfL) to apply for powers to start construction.

Following the Mayor’s instruction, TfL will now apply to Government for a Transport and Works Act Order to start construction of the 4.5km extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line. This extension would deliver London Overground services to a new station at the heart of the Barking Riverside community, with construction beginning in late 2017 and train services commencing in 2021.

The delivery of the extension will unlock a wide range of benefits for people in the local area and beyond, including almost 11,000 new homes, many of which are affordable, along with a new school and healthcare facilities and the construction of a new district centre with commercial and leisure facilities. The extension will deliver a sustainable public transport alternative to car travel and link Barking Riverside into London’s public transport network through connections at Barking, with District and Hammersmith & City Tube services and c2c services to London Fenchurch Street and Essex.

The extension is fully funded, with the majority of the £263m cost of the scheme being met by the developers, Barking Riverside Limited, a newly reformed joint venture between the GLA and London & Quadrant, who are providing £172m of funding. The remainder is being provided by TfL.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson MP, said: “The London Overground has been a huge success story, driving forward regeneration in all corners of the capital and proving incredibly popular with passengers. The unequivocal support for this extension shows what an impact the line will make to Barking, and I’m delighted that we’re ready to take it forward and ensure Barking Riverside realises its full potential.”

TfL’s Managing Director of Planning, Richard de Cani, said: “Overwhelming support has been demonstrated throughout the consultation process for this extension of London Overground network to Barking Riverside. We will now be moving this to the next step so that we can get construction underway. This vital new railway will breathe life into this area, enabling up to 11,000 vital new homes, along with healthcare and leisure services, to be delivered.”

The decision to apply for the Transport and Work Act Order follows a public consultation in December 2015. This was the third consultation on the scheme, providing detailed land use, location of site compounds and construction traffic. The report is available at www.tfl.gov.uk/barking-riverside

Previous consultations in autumn 2014 and spring 2015 looked at support for the principle of the scheme and possible route alignments respectively. Responses to both consultations showed overwhelming support.

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Amy