en.Wedoany.com Reported - Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled plans to excavate two 1.5-kilometer tunnels beneath the River Thames as part of its proposed Docklands Light Railway (DLR) extension project. The agency has launched a public consultation on the construction plan for the route connecting Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead.
According to the plan, the project is expected to take five years, with construction work covering the riverbed and both banks. Specific operations include tunnel boring, cut-and-cover tunneling, viaduct construction, station works, utility diversions, and railway system installation. A separate bored tunnel will be built for each direction of travel, connected by cross-passages to meet emergency evacuation requirements. Cut-and-cover tunneling will be used in sections where the railway approaches the surface on both sides of the Thames.
At Beckton Riverside, TfL will construct a launch shaft for assembling the tunnel boring machine and commencing excavation. This shaft will later serve as a permanent emergency access and evacuation point, with a typically two-story head house built above it. The head house will contain ventilation, electrical, and maintenance equipment. On the south bank of the Thames at Thamesmead, a reception shaft will be installed. The tunnel boring machine will arrive at this shaft after completing its first drive, then turn around and re-launch to excavate the second tunnel. This shaft will also be retained as a permanent emergency access point after the railway becomes operational.
To support the DLR hub, stations, viaduct, and tunnel works, four construction sites will be required at Beckton Riverside. Thamesmead will need two sites for building the elevated station, viaduct, and reception shaft. Construction will begin with site clearance, temporary facility setup, and utility diversions, followed by piling, station foundations, viaduct supports, and shaft works. Later phases will cover major tunneling works, construction of the two stations, track laying, and installation of power, signaling, and telecommunications equipment. The extension will also need to integrate with the existing DLR line north of Gallions Reach station.
TfL stated that construction will involve the transport of significant quantities of excavated earth, concrete, steel, and tunnel segments. The agency is considering transporting materials by road, water, and rail, but its environmental assessment assumes all materials will be transported by road. Additionally, a draft Code of Construction Practice will regulate working hours, noise, vibration, traffic routes, lighting, and environmental protection. TfL plans to submit a Transport and Works Act Order application in early 2027. Subject to funding and approvals, construction could commence before 2029.
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