Tower Hamlets is to benefit from better transport under a proposed £10 billion, five year investment programme to give London a 21st century transport system, unveiled by Mayor of London Ken Livingstone today.

Speaking at City Hall, the Mayor said:

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reverse decades of under-investment in Tower Hamlets and right across London. It marks an end to stop-start funding for London's transport. The programme will deliver real improvements in the services and capacity needed to keep passengers travelling in and through Tower Hamlets on the move."

The main benefits for Tower Hamlets included in TfL's 5 Year Investment Programme, subject to approval by the TfL Board, are:

  • phase one of the East London Line Project extensions, which will extend the existing line north to Dalston Junction and south to Crystal Palace and West Croydon;
  • upgrade to 3-car running on the Docklands Light Railway between Bank and Lewisham to boost capacity by 30 percent to help meet future demand;
  • a new package of improvements for Silverlink Metro services including station and security enhancements such as better CCTV and lighting, graffiti cleaning and the extension of station staffing hours providing a greater presence early in the morning and later at night.
  • continuation of major safety work on the Rotherhithe Tunnel.

In addition, the following improvements to District, Central, Jubilee and Hammersmith & City Lines and stations are planned to be delivered under the PPP:

  • station refurbishments and/or modifications to Bow Road (completion 2005); Aldgate East and Tower Hill (2006); Bethnal Green, Mile End, Whitechapel, Bromley-by-Bow, Canary Wharf and Stepney Green (2007 - 2010);
  • all 75 District Line trains to be refurbished by 2009 including space for wheelchairs, audio & video info systems and refurbished seats and interiors;
  • Victoria Line interim upgrade and Central Line upgrade to improve journey times by 2006;
  • Jubilee Line to be improved with the addition of a seventh car to be added to trains and new signalling system with a total increase in capacity of 48 percent.

The Mayor added:

"The last four years have seen huge improvements in Tower Hamlet's bus services. This investment programme will build on this and deliver improvements right across the transport network.

Work undertaken to improve transport in Tower Hamlets by TfL over the past four years, benefiting all Londoners including those with disabilities and the socially excluded, includes:

  • more reliable services and better information on all bus services;
  • increased frequencies on 25 bus routes, new low floor, fully accessible buses on 22 routes, five new links to existing routes and 10 new bus routes;
  • major works have been carried out to upgrade the A13 Thames Gateway corridor, contributing to regeneration of the area and;
  • TfL is currently carrying out major refurbishment works to the Southbound Blackwall Tunnel;
  • funding for additional Met police officers and police Community Support officers to reduce crime and the fear of crime, improve enforcement on and around bus routes and tackle taxi touting;
  • licensing private hire vehicles to improve passenger safety;
  • funding for improving conditions for walking, cycling and road safety;
  • improvements in dial-a-ride and taxicard funding.

Working in partnership with Tower Hamlets TfL have been implemented including:

  • improvement around the Shadwell Interchange between DLR and Tube stations providing enhanced security measures;
  • a range of Environmental Traffic Management schemes in Salmon Lane, Ben Jonson/Harford Street, Old Bethnal Green and Bow Common Lane areas.
  1. The Investment Programme will be formally approved by the board of TfL at a meeting on October 27th.
  2. Crossrail is not part of the Programme. TfL is progressing it as a joint partnership with government in expectation of a Hybrid Bill.
  3. Many of the projects listed are subject to further consultation or other statutory processes before they can be delivered, and may be delivered beyond the life of the Programme.
  4. Tube Lines are responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the Jubilee, Northern and Piccadilly lines;
  5. Metronet Rail BCV are responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the Bakerloo, Central, Victoria and Waterloo & City lines;
  6. Metronet Rail SSL are responsible for the maintenance and renewal of the Sub-Surface lines, the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and East London lines.