Barking Riverside Extension to open this summer, ahead of schedule
Local residents and visitors to Barking Riverside will soon benefit from quicker and easier journeys with the confirmation that Barking Riverside will become the capital's newest railway station this summer, ahead of schedule. Transport for London (TfL) has been able to bring forward the launch of London Overground services to Barking Riverside, originally planned for the autumn, following good progress being made in the completion of the station commissioning and testing stages.
Residents can already see trains running between Barking and Barking Riverside while route testing and driver training takes place by Arriva Rail London, which operates the London Overground on TfL's behalf. This is a major milestone for the project and one of the final steps ahead of welcoming customers for the first time. Barking Riverside station, which appeared on the Tube map for the first time in May, adds to London's growing number of step free stations - helping to make the capital a more accessible city for everyone.
Investment in transport benefits the whole country - from supporting jobs and businesses across the country to ensuring supply chains and manufacturers are able to retain the skill base and resources to easily and affordably satisfy transport projects in other regions. Businesses from around the UK have benefited from the Barking Riverside Extension. Throughout construction, the project's supply chain has supported businesses of all sizes with skills and job creation seen across the whole country. This includes steelwork from Scotland and the East of England, precast concrete from the North West and Northern Ireland and innovative slab track from the East Midlands.
The 4.5km extension, which extends the Gospel Oak to Barking London Overground route to a new step-free station at the heart of Barking Riverside, will drastically cut journey times from Barking to Barking Riverside, which currently takes around 25 minutes by bus. Operating four trains per hour, it will take just seven minutes to travel from Barking Riverside to Barking with easy interchange to both the District and Hammersmith & City lines into central London and c2c services
The extension is an intrinsic part of the Barking Riverside development, which is being delivered by Barking Riverside Limited, a joint venture between L&Q and the Mayor of London. This 180-hectare brownfield site on the northern bank of the River Thames is set to be one of London fastest growing areas. The Barking Riverside Extension will help to enable the construction of more than 10,000 new homes along with a range of community, commercial and retail spaces along a 2km stretch of Thames River frontage. Sitting at the heart of a new public square, the new Barking Riverside step-free station will provide a direct interchange with local bus services and will be a five-minute walk from the riverside, which is already served by Uber Boat by Thames Clippers River Bus services.
Stuart Harvey, TfL's Chief Capital Officer, said: "Through fantastic collaboration with our partners working on this project, including the MSVF joint venture of Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and VolkerFitzpatrick, Network Rail and Arriva Rail London, I am pleased to confirm that the Barking Riverside Extension will open this summer. The extension will be a game changer for Barking Riverside - vastly improving transport connectivity, accessibility and helping to realise plans to deliver much needed housing."
Matthew Carpen, Managing Director of Barking Riverside Limited, said: "Today's news will be a cause of celebration for all residents, complementing the recent extension of the River Bus service and helping connect Barking Riverside to the rest of the capital."
Paul Hutchings, Managing Director of Arriva Rail London, said: "We are delighted to be extending the London Overground network to Barking Riverside this summer and are working hard to get the station ready for customers. The commencement of our driver training programme on this brand-new stretch of railway takes us another step closer to operating a safe, reliable and punctual service for the local community."
Steve Balliston, Project Director for MSVF (Morgan Sindall Infrastructure VolkerFitzpatrick) joint venture, 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."
Vicky Savage, Group Director of Development and Sales at L&Q said: "We're proud that our vision for Barking Riverside is being realised with the impressive new facilities being delivered. The new Overground Station will have a huge impact on the existing and future community, cementing the status of this development as one of London's most exciting emerging neighbourhoods."
Notes to editors
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers - https://www.thamesclippers.com/plan-your-journey/find-your-pier/barking-riverside-pier
Timeline of the Barking Riverside Extension:
- 2017: Secretary of State granted Transport and Works Act Order (August)
- 2018: Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and VolkerFitzpatrick appointed as contractors to deliver the project (December)
- 2019: Start of major construction works (February)
- 2021: Completion of viaduct construction including track slab (October)
- 2022: Final signal commissioning completed (March)
- 2022: Driver training and route testing begins (May)
About Barking Riverside
Overlooking London's iconic River Thames, Barking Riverside is founded on an ambitious vision for what placemaking can achieve.
One of the most exciting new developments in Europe, the project will help transform a 443-acre former industrial site into a new London district that everyone can be proud of.
Co-created in close partnership with existing residents, the area is growing to become an exciting and vibrant neighbourhood of over 10,000 homes, commercial and leisure space, new schools and facilities, public open spaces and riverside walks. Connectivity will be enhanced by a new London Overground station and an Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pier.
The project is being delivered by master developers Barking Riverside Limited (BRL), a joint venture between housing association L&Q and the Mayor of London. BRL are partnering with local people, stakeholders, plot developers and designers, to help create a place that is 'Barking Made', with pride and purpose for everyone.
Visit barkingriverside.london
Morgan Sindall Infrastructure
Morgan Sindall Infrastructure delivers some of the UK's most complex and critical infrastructure across six core sectors of energy, water, nuclear, highways, rail and aviation for public and private customers. Working on projects and long-term frameworks, we believe in connecting people, places and communities through innovative and responsible infrastructure. Through our expertise, we harness innovative ideas and approaches that enable us to safely and responsibly design and deliver resilient infrastructure. Morgan Sindall Infrastructure is part of Morgan Sindall Group plc, a leading UK construction and regeneration group with revenue of over £3 billion. www.morgansindallinfrastructure.com
VolkerFitzpatrick
VolkerFitzpatrick is a multi-disciplinary contractor working in the civil engineering, building, rail, waste and energy infrastructure sectors.
Founded in 1921, the company has grown to become one of the top contractors in the UK. VolkerFitzpatrick's success is based on ensuring it has a sound understanding of the client's vision, which is then delivered on time and to budget.
VolkerFitzpatrick is proud to be celebrating its 100th anniversary.
VolkerFitzpatrick is part of VolkerWessels UK, a multi-disciplinary construction and civil engineering group with a turnover of £1,082 million. VolkerWessels UK employs more than 3,600 staff in five operating companies.