Transport for London (TfL) has started market engagement for the planned £1.62bn extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead.

The 3km line will tie into the existing DLR East Route with the project including a new station at the centre of the Beckton Riverside development, a cross river tunnel, twin bore tunnel of around 1.5 km, a new station at Thamesmead and a new turnback siding to the west of the extension to facilitate a future uplift in services on the Thamesmead branch and East Route.

Docklands Light Railway, a 100% owned subsidiary of TfL, is in the process of defining the scope of requirements for the goods, services and construction works under the proposed programme.

TfL has previously said the plans could see up to 30,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs unlocked with the project having an estimated economic impact of around £15.6bn, helping to deliver the government's growth mission

Subject to funding and approval, it is expected that the works may be phased and currently planned to commence in 2028 and completed by 2033.

TfL is seeking input from supplies and contractors to develop a suitable delivery model for the DLR Thamesmead Extension (TEX) Programme.

In its preliminary market engagement notice it was looking for “advice and suggestions on general buildability of the scheme, concept design, phasing, packaging and sequencing of works and contractual arrangements for the work packages will be invaluable to TfL.

A Supplier Industry Day is scheduled to take place on 2 December 2025 from 9.30am-12.30pm at 1 Park Crescent, London, W1B 1SH.

The Preliminary Market Engagement exercise is being managed electronically on TfL’s e-Tendering portal SAP Ariba, where interested parties should register before 5pm on 25 November.

TfL will then issue a Market Sounding Questionnaire (MSQ) by 5 December, with responses due by 31 January 2026 at 6pm.

A tender notice for the project is due to be published in June 2025, with the contract awarded in  March 2027 – and running for almost seven years until 31 December 2033.

Interested parties can click here for more information.