TFL Opens New Transport Links to Barking Riverside Station via London Overground

This summer, Transport for London (TFL) will expand its transportation network by opening a London Overground station in east London.

 

A rail connection to Barking Riverside, a subdivision with 10,000 new houses, will be made possible by an extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line.

 

There will be four trains each hour that take seven minutes to arrive at Barking, which is also serviced by the District and Hammersmith & City lines.

 

The line was scheduled to start in the fall, but TfL indicated it would open sooner than expected because construction was finished earlier.

 

COVID was mostly to blame for the cost increase and delay. Up to £327 million was spent.

 

As drivers train and test the route, some trains are already operating on the 2.7-mile (4.5-km) expansion.

 

TfL’s chief capital officer, Stuart Harvey, said: “The extension will be a game-changer for Barking Riverside, vastly improving transport connectivity, and accessibility and helping to realize plans to deliver much-needed housing.”

 

As of now, a bus ride to the London Underground station in Barking takes 25 minutes.

 

The installation of structural steel plates weighing 100 tonnes each and the building of a viaduct where necessary for the construction of the new stretch of line.

 

Large-scale cranes, including the biggest movable crane in the UK, were used for some of the work.

 

MSVF project director, Steve Balliston, said: “It has been a privilege to work on the Barking Riverside Extension, and we’re delighted that we have achieved this major milestone ahead of the targeted date, through our efficient, safety-conscious, and collaborative efforts”.

 

“The team, along with TfL and our supply chain, has worked extremely hard to meet every challenge and deliver a project that provides better connectivity and employment benefits for the local and wider community”, he added.