Dagenham Dock - The Beginning

The idea of extending the DLR to Dagenham Dock has been examined several times in the past. It was first investigated in 1997, when DLR Ltd looked at possible extensions to the network which could be realised within the ten-year period up to 2007. A Dagenham Dock scheme was not taken forward at that time because the land use and development proposals for Dagenham Dock and Dagenham were not fully developed and the likely timescale for re-development of the area was beyond the designated period up to 2008.
However, by 2002, the emerging plans for both Barking Riverside and for South Dagenham envisaged as many as 11,000 new homes in Barking Riverside and significant employment and new homes around South Dagenham. The Barking Riverside area has now been identified in the London Plan and emerging proposals for regeneration of the Thames Gateway sees it as a location for major housing growth and employment.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) and Transport for London (TfL) requested that DLR undertake initial feasibility studies into possible route options and costs for an extension through to Barking Riverside. In February 2002, Docklands Light Railway Limited (DLR Ltd) appointed consultants to examine outline engineering corridors for a proposed eastern extension of the DLR from the existing network. This work was completed in mid 2002 and highlighted Barking town centre, Renwick Road or Dagenham Dock as possible terminus destinations.
Following further work and stakeholder consultation, it was concluded that the optimal route eastwards involved extending the DLR to Dagenham Dock. This was principally due to the potential interchange opportunities, the need to fully serve the planned Barking Riverside area and the desire for the potential of the DLR to unlock sites further east.
Consultants were then appointed in October 2003 to detail route options for the DLR between Gallions Reach and Dagenham Dock.
In March 2006 Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, instructed DLR to develop this scheme further. With this in mind, DLR is moving forward with the schemes development.