The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Transport for London (TfL) have welcomed the news that the Government has given the green light for a vital new extension of the London Overground to Barking Riverside.
Transport for London (TfL) has received powers from the Secretary of State for Transport to start construction on the 4.5 kilometre extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line, a project that will help support one of east London’s largest new housing developments. The extension will deliver London Overground services to a new station at the heart of the Barking Riverside community, with construction beginning in summer 2018 and train services commencing in late 2021.
The delivery of this extension will unlock a wide range of benefits for people in the local area and beyond, including 10,800 new homes, along with a new school and healthcare facilities and the construction of a new district centre with commercial and leisure facilities. Mayor Sadiq Khan gave his consent to the masterplan for Barking Riverside, a 180-hectare brownfield site on the northern banks of the River Thames, last September. As many as 50 per cent of these homes could be affordable.
