Transport for London (TfL) has shared the first initial insights about how the Silvertown Tunnel is operating, as part of the Commissioner’s latest report to the TfL Board.
The Silvertown Tunnel is the first new road crossing of the Thames east of Tower Bridge in more than three decades. As well as being designed to make journeys faster and more reliable, helping to address the chronic congestion and poor resilience Londoners faced around Blackwall Tunnel, it has also allowed for a step-change in cross-river bus services, with 21 buses an hour now crossing at this location. This has enabled new frequent, accessible and sustainable public transport options that connect communities to jobs, homes and leisure.
While more detailed analysis is ongoing and will be presented to the Silvertown Tunnel Implementation Group next month, early analysis of data between 21 April to 11 May shows that, combined, the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels are seeing on average around 88,000 vehicles across both directions on a typical weekday. Of these, around 20,000 are using the new Silvertown Tunnel.
Since the tunnel opened, TfL has been analysing traffic and bus ridership data to ensure the scheme, alongside the user charge which was introduced to both the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels on the same day, makes journeys faster and more reliable.
Prior to the Silvertown Tunnel opening and the user charges being implemented, around 100,000 vehicles typically used the Blackwall Tunnel on weekdays. Since the opening, overall traffic levels crossing the river at this location have reduced by 12 per cent and helped ease congestion.
The new Silvertown Tunnel also now provides an alternative for drivers in case of traffic incidents in the Blackwall Tunnel, improving resilience in the wider area which previously saw traffic quickly built up if the tunnel was forced to close. On 14 May, the Blackwall Tunnel was closed in both directions for several hours due to an incident. Whereas previously this would have led to significant disruption and congestion, drivers were able to use the Silvertown Tunnel and therefore traffic continued to flow through the area.
The Commissioner’s report also has some initial ridership data about the bus services which operate through the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels, all of which are zero emission at the tailpipe and free for at least the first year as part of the wider discounts and concessions introduced by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and TfL to support the new Silvertown Tunnel. Across all three routes (the 108, 129 and the Superloop 4), there is a daily average of more than 20,000 customers making use of these services, of which typically around 7,000 are crossing the river using one of the tunnels. In March 2025, there were around 2,700 journeys a day made using the route 108 which crossed the river via the Blackwall Tunnel – meaning there has been around a 160 per cent increase since the new bus routes which use the Silvertown Tunnel began.
Across the wider road network, initial analysis shows that there is similar stability in overall traffic volumes – including on key corridors such as the A2, A12, and A13. TfL is aware of some increased traffic volumes at other river crossings, including the Woolwich Ferry. TfL continues to use sophisticated traffic signal technology to balance timings in response to real time traffic flows, and staff at the Woolwich Ferry continue to work hard to manage the additional customers and keep the ferry on schedule.
Furthermore, the new Silvertown Tunnel is already helping to improve reliability of the route 108 bus. Initial analysis of the performance of the route 108 in the weeks following the Silvertown Tunnel opening shows that the route’s Excess Wait Time – the average time passengers wait beyond the scheduled wait time – for Period 1 2025/26 (1 April – 25 April) has dropped by 23 per cent compared to the same period last year due to the ease in congestion.
On the new Cycle Shuttle service, TfL is currently seeing around 100-150 passengers using the service on a typical day, and continues to receive positive feedback on the service since it launched. While this is below the capacity of the service, TfL believes that, given its innovative nature, usage will grow throughout the coming months as cyclists plan and adapt their routes to benefit from this free crossing option.
In the same way as TfL does for other Road User Charging schemes, it intends to publish quarterly factsheets on the operational performance of the Tunnels’ User Charging scheme. This will include information about how many people pay the charge, the compliance rates for vehicles using the tunnels, and the number of Penalty Charge Notices that are issued.
The first of these factsheets will be published later this year, but initial data shows that compliance has steadily increased since launch, with around 90 per cent of customers either paying a charge or benefitting from a relevant discount or exemption. Where drivers are not paying the charge, Penalty Charge Notices are being issued.
To avoid Penalty Charge Notices, drivers can sign up for TfL Auto Pay, meaning that they will automatically pay the charge if they use the tunnel, can take advantage of off-peak charges and avoid any potential fines. More than 3 million vehicles are now signed up for TfL Auto Pay, up from around 2.65 million in January 2025. Drivers who haven’t signed up to TfL Auto Pay will be charged peak charges at all times.
Residents living in 12 east London boroughs or the City of London, and on certain benefits, could be eligible for a 50 per cent discount on the tunnels charge. TfL continues to process applications, and around 3,500 residents are now registered for this discount. Businesses, sole traders and charities registered and operating from Greenwich, Newham or Tower Hamlets are also eligible for a £1 discount on the off-peak charge, with more than 1,000 vehicles now registered to receive this discount.
Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “Easing congestion and keeping London moving is vital for our city to thrive, so it’s encouraging that initial data from TfL shows that the new Silvertown Tunnel is helping to reduce the build-up of traffic around the Blackwall Tunnel. This means more reliable and faster journey times for thousands of Londoners during peak hours. There is a significant increase in cross-river bus use and improved bus reliability is helping us to build a better and more accessible London for all.”
