A 4.5 km extension of the London Overground from Barking Riverside to Barking town centre will open on Monday, 18 July, months ahead of the scheduled autumn opening.

The following weekend, Saturday, 23rd and Sunday, 24th July Network Rail will carry out essential engineering work on the Gospel Oak to Barking Riverside route, after which the line will operate seven days a week.

The new station at Barking Riverside is fully step-free, bringing the total across the London Overground network to more than 60 stations.

There are also extensive cycle parking facilities and an easy interchange with local bus services.

The extension of the Gospel Oak route beyond Barking to Barking Riverside dramatically reduces journey times to Barking to just seven minutes, from the current 25-minute bus journey.

Four trains per hour will provide Barking Riverside with connections to the District and Hammersmith & City lines into central London, and c2c trains at Barking.

There will be an easy interchange with the recently opened Elizabeth line at Forest Gate, which is a short walk from Wanstead Park London Overground station, as well as River Bus services from Barking Riverside pier.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said:

“Hot on the heels of the opening of the Elizabeth Line, this is more excellent news for east London.
“This new station will help to pave the way for up to 10,000 new homes in Barking Riverside, thousands of which will be genuinely affordable and will ensure residents have the high-quality transport links they need. I am particularly pleased that this station is fully step-free and is opening much earlier than planned.

“Despite the lack of long-term funding from Government for TfL, the Mayor is still absolutely focused on building a better London – and this development is a key part of that.”

Stuart Harvey, Chief Capital Officer at Transport for London, said:

“The opening of Barking Riverside station, months earlier than anticipated, is another boost for the capital, following the successful reopening of Bank station and launch of the transformational Elizabeth line. This extension will effectively deliver on two key priorities as London recovers from the pandemic of providing accessible, sustainable travel to much needed housing for Londoners.

“Residents will be able to benefit from a modern and spacious new station, which will be well connected with other local transport links including local buses and River Bus services.”

Matthew Carpen, Managing Director of Barking Riverside Limited, said:

“The early launch of this Overground service is due to the brilliant partnership we have had with TfL and the contractor Morgan Sindall Infrastructure VolkerFitzpatrick. We worked through COVID and so the opening is the signal to help reconnect residents and visitors of this area to London.

“Following the successful launch of the new River Bus service, this vital piece of infrastructure will be a major component in the range of transport options for commuters and leisure visitors alike, making Barking Riverside an exciting destination for Londoners, as well as a well-connected home for our community.”

Vicky Savage, Executive Group Director of Development and Sales at L&Q, said:

“Alongside our partner the Mayor of London, we’re proud to be investing to bring vital transport infrastructure, facilities and beautiful homes to Barking Riverside. The new Overground station will support not just residents but the whole Borough and wider east London community – yet more evidence that this is one of London’s most important new developments.”