UMVA - UMVA Uncovers: BOMBSHELL Map Reveals SHOCKING New DLR E...

UMVA has learned that a massive £1.7 billion extension of the DLR in east London is being finalised, involving the creation of two new stations and a route that will split off from the existing DLR line to Beckton.

The new route will run via two new stations, Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead, with construction involving the building of two tunnels under the Thames. A final consultation on the plans is now underway, with a map showing the new routes having been released.

According to information obtained by UMVA, the extension was approved when funding was allocated in the November 2025 budget. During the final round of talks, more detailed plans for the stations themselves will be considered.

DLR train on elevated tracks crosses South Quay towards Heron Quays station at the heart of Canary Wharf financial district on 5th January 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo: Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images)

The new stations will be designed with passenger convenience in mind. Beckton Riverside will be at street level with a footbridge and lifts linking two platforms on either side of the track. Thamesmead, meanwhile, will be built on the site of Cannon Retail Park on a viaduct, with a central platform and tracks running on either side.

Trains will run every eight to 10 minutes along the route and every eight to 10 minutes from Beckton, meaning Gallions Reach will run services every four to five minutes. The extension is expected to improve transport connections to both areas and allow for the construction of up to 25,000 new homes along the route.

UMVA can exclusively reveal that the new Thamesmead DLR station is expected to open in the early part of the next decade. Once the final details have been finalised, Transport for London will submit a Transport and Works Act Order application, which, if approved, will mean plans for the extension can finally go ahead.

We would proposed to do this by providing an elevated track from Gallions Reach over the existing Beckton branch line and then continuing towards Beckton Riverside. We call this a ?grade separated? junction. This junction means that trains operating on the extension would not come into conflict with trains operating on the existing Beckton branch, or which are leaving and entering the depot, and so avoids potential delays. This layout would also provide a direct link between Beckton depot and the proposed extension to Thamesmead, ensuring trains serving the extension could start service without impacting services on the existing Beckton branch. This layout would also allow for a potential future extension of the DLR towards Barking, subject to funding and justification of benefits. We explored an alternative ?at grade? junction layout, which would require trains operating to/from Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead to cross over the existing Beckton branch to access the extension. However, this would require trains stopping and waiting for a route to become available across the junction with the existing Beckton. This would impact the number of trains we could run on the network and could extend journey times and cause delays across the DLR network. Route through Beckton Riverside The proposed route alignment through the Beckton Riverside area is constrained. To the west (towards Beckton) there is Royal Docks Road (A1020) and Armada Way, the existing Beckton DLR branch and utilities infrastructure. This includes Beckton CHiP (Combined Heat and Intelligent Power) plant, a bioliquid fuelled power station, and a Cadent Gas Pressure Reduction Station. To the east (towards the River Thames) there is Armada Way, a flood attenuation pond, and river wall infrastructure. There is also a significant amount of below ground utilities and other buried obstructions which have influenced the development of options for this section of the route. The proposed route alignment would initially remain elevated on a viaduct to pass through the Beckton Riverside area immediately to the south of Armada Way, passing over the edge of the Cadent Gas Pressure Reduction Station site and Hornet Way, to maintain vehicle access to the Beckton CHiP plant, Cadent Gas Pressure Reduction Station and Beckton Depot. The viaduct section of the railway would run for around 500 metres through Beckton Riverside, before descending to a proposed ground level station at Beckton Riverside. This would serve two major development sites in the area. To the north of the proposed station and Armada Way lies the existing Gallions Reach Shopping Park owned by Aberdeen Investments, with the remaining undeveloped part of the former Beckton Gas works, owned by St William to the south of the DLR alignment and proposed station at Beckton Riverside. Information about our preferred option for this station, and the alternatives we have assessed,

Thamesmead sits on the border of Greenwich and Bexley and is a residential area made up predominantly of 1960s social housing built on former marshland. The extension is expected to have a significant impact on the local community, providing better access to employment and education opportunities.