Transport for London (TfL) has begun the process of appointing a contractor to build the Barking Riverside extension, a vital rail link that will serve east London’s largest housing development site.
The extension will unlock a wide range of benefits for people in the local area and beyond, including 10,800 new homes, many of which are affordable, along with a new school and healthcare services, as well as shops, restaurants and leisure facilities.
The extension will also 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.
TfL has placed a notice with the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) seeking expressions of interest to construct the rail extension. A formal Invitation to Tender is expected to be issued in 2017 following the completion of design work. This follows the submission of the Transport and Works Act Order earlier this year.
Construction of the 4.5km extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line will 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 project is part-funded by TfL’s £360m growth fund, which is creating more than 50,000 homes and 30,000 jobs by supporting 14 transport projects across London that are directly unlocking development.