A new station has opened at the heart of Barking Riverside helping transform journeys to this developing area of east London and supporting the delivery of more than 10,000 new homes. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, was joined by London’s Transport Commissioner, Andy Byford, and Matthew Carpen from Barking Riverside Limited today (Monday 25 July) to officially celebrate the opening of the new station and see changes to the area. Local Councillor Darren Rodwell was also there to visit the station and board a train. The station first opened to customers, as planned, on 18 July.
Barking Riverside is one of the fastest growing areas of east London. With around 3,000 homes built or under construction, the new railway will help unlock more than 7,000 further homes along with new leisure facilities, schools and riverside walks. This 178-hectare brownfield site on the northern bank of the River Thames will become home to an estimated 30,000 new residents with Barking Riverside station an intrinsic part of the development, which is being delivered by Barking Riverside Limited, a joint venture between L&Q and the Mayor of London.
Sitting at the heart of a new public square and only a five-minute walk from the riverfront, Barking Riverside station forms part of the extended Gospel Oak to Barking route. Residents and visitors using the new station can now benefit from quicker and easier journeys. The extension of the railway complements the existing comprehensive bus network and provides a new direct transport option. Journey times to Barking have been dramatically cut by more than two thirds to around seven minutes, while the city is now accessible in just 22 minutes.
Customers can easily interchange at Barking for the London Underground into central London and c2c services to Essex. An interchange with the Elizabeth line is possible at Forest Gate, which is a short walk from Wanstead Park London Overground station. Barking Riverside Pier is also a short five-minute walk from the station providing easy access to westbound Uber Boat by Thames Clippers River Bus services to locations such as North Greenwich, Canary Wharf, Westminster and London Bridge City piers.
Sustainable travel is a key part of the plans for the Barking Riverside development. Public transport, walking and cycling feature heavily in plans supported by local bus services, easily connected with the new railway station, and a network of footpaths and cycleways. Cycle parking for 180 cycles is provided at a dedicated new facility as part of the new station making it easier for people to start or end their journeys by cycle.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m delighted that the new Barking Riverside London Overground station recently opened to customers, ahead of schedule.
“Residents will now benefit from a modern, spacious new station and greatly reduced journey times with Barking just seven minutes away – I’m pleased to say that the station is also fully step free.
“This fantastic development provides high quality transport links for residents and over 10,000 new homes in Barking Riverside, 50 per cent of which will be genuinely affordable.
“I am absolutely focused on doing everything I can from City Hall to build a better London for everyone – a safer, fairer, greener and more prosperous city for all Londoners – and this latest addition to our transport network and development is a key part of that.”
Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner, said: “I’m immensely proud to see this fantastic addition to our public transport network at Barking Riverside. It will make a real difference to so many people’s lives and it is also a clear example of the importance of investment in transport – it’s the key to unlock skills, jobs and homes.
“It’s a great credit to all those who worked on the project that we have been able to open the station months earlier than planned and I would like to thank all our partners for their collaborative efforts, including the MSVF joint venture of Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and VolkerFitzpatrick, Network Rail and Arriva Rail London”
Matthew Carpen, Managing Director of Barking Riverside Limited, said: “The opening of this new London Overground station is a landmark moment for east London and the people that live and visit – bringing one of the most vibrant and ambitious developments in the UK conveniently close to the centre of the Capital. This critical infrastructure will allow Barking Riverside to grow further, delivering more than 10,000 homes set within an exciting new community.”
Paul Hutchings, Managing Director of Arriva Rail London, said: “We are delighted to have worked alongside our partners to open Barking Riverside station, connecting a new community to the London Overground. A huge amount of work has gone into getting the station ready for customers and trains operating on this brand-new stretch of railway, and I am incredibly proud of our team. We strive to be at the heart of all our communities and our colleagues are excited to serve this new neighbourhood.”
Vicky Savage, Executive Group Director of Development and Sales at L&Q, said: “Barking Riverside is one of the most ambitious and significant regeneration schemes in the UK. L&Q is proud to be investing alongside our partner the Mayor of London to bring forward vital transport infrastructure, alongside the planned facilities and homes.
“The new Overground station will support not just residents but the whole borough and wider east London community. This is a testament to L&Q’s commitment to being a long-term partner for the entire area.”
Councillor Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council said: “The opening of the Overground extension is another really exciting landmark for our borough, coming closely after Uber Boat by Thames Clippers services commenced operations from the new Barking Riverside Pier. The Overground extension will allow us to unleash more opportunities to build over 30,000 more affordable homes and create thousands of jobs for our residents as London moves eastward.”
Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s Route Director for Anglia, said: “This extension is a big boost for passengers and will bring people together by making so many more train journeys possible. We are proud to have been part of the major collaborative effort to get the extension open. Our teams played a critical role in integrating the extension into the existing railway and minimising disruption to passengers while the work was being carried out. Our colleagues will now be working hard with our partners to provide the best possible service to passengers on the extension.”
Investment in transport benefits the whole country – from supporting jobs and businesses across the UK to ensuring supply chains and manufacturers can retain the skill base and resources to easily and affordably satisfy transport projects in other regions. During the four years of construction, businesses from around the UK have benefited from the Barking Riverside Extension. Delivered by Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and VolkerFitzpatrick (MSVF) joint venture on behalf of Transport for London (TfL), the project’s supply chain partners have supported 39 apprenticeships. Hundreds of jobs have been created and sustained across businesses of all sizes in the 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, with trains built in Derby.
Photo credit: Network Rail
