Rapid bus link between Woolwich and Thamesmead: TfL working on business case
Transport for London are currently working on the business case for a new bus rapid transit route between north Thamesmead and Woolwich in advance of consultation possibly this year.
The exact scope is as yet unknown though the £23 million project is likely to run from north Thamesmead beside the Waterfront to the Elizabeth line in Woolwich.
Funding was allocated to the project by the Conservative government in 2023 with funding time-limited to 2026.
This past week a TfL report briefly mentioned the scheme within a document from the commissioner.
Start of route
Starting a route in north Thamesmead beside the leisure centre and clocktower makes sense given it’s the current terminal of Superloop route SL3 running from Bromley to Thamesmead via Bexleyheath and Abbey Wood to Thamesmere (is it still called that?) leisure centre.
Previous documents that mentioned a BRT showed it also running to Abbey Wood though this would now duplicate Superloop route SL3. It’s the western half of the BRT route seen below that has no express bus.
The leisure centre itself may well be replaced and/or redeveloped in coming years according to a brief mention in a recent Greenwich Council infrastructure document.
That would further provides impetus for a new bus linking to Woolwich.
The town’s 1980s town centre is a sorry site with many vacant shops. Designed around a canal it was a lovely place to visit as a child, with a good range of shops and the fountain steps to play on.
Retail sheds then decimated the area. Thamesmere leisure centre – as fond as I am of it having been there many times as a child – doesn’t really utilise it’s lakeside location well either.
The BRT could well be the trigger for Greenwich Council to get moving on mixed-use redevelopment to better capitalise on the lakeside location. Perhaps Peabody will do so too – though they have much vacant land within minute’s walk of Abbey Wood station.
Bus Rapid Transit
For those unaware, a Bus Rapid Transit usually comprises a conventional bus running along guided tracks in part to maximise limited space such as on former railway track alignments (Cambridge) or across narrow bridges (Bristol).
Buses become automated along narrow tracks as seen below.
However there’s no real need for anything like that between north Thamesmead and Woolwich given its entirely dual carriageway throughout enabling buses to reach high speeds (well, 50 mph).
From north Thamesmead the BRT would head west along Central Way’s dual carriageway past retail parks and Woolwich Poly school (which in recent years has expanded).
Roads throughout here are wide and almost never see congestion given Thamesmead’s roads were built for a population that never arrived – by some way.
Heading south the route would meet Eastern and Western Way.
To the south is White Hart Avenue; a council funded industrial area which more than 20 years after opening still has vacant plots a plenty.
The route will head west along Western Way. Again, dual carriageways throughout and little congestion. No need to reinvent the wheel and spend millions here.
It has a 50mph limit which should help buses quickly reach the boundary between Plumstead and West Thamesmead.
This is where 1,913 homes are rising at Lombard Square.
This gyratory is seeing minimal work despite both Lombard Square and another development comprising 333 homes well underway nearby.
Improving transport for 2,300 homes already rising should help the business case for funding. That total is before we even get to thousands possible in north Thamesmead on retail parks and beyond.
The one-way system is one area that £23 million really could improve. It’s grim.
There’s currently consultation into improving access for forthcoming residents at 2,300 new homes (as well as the many thousands who live locally) to improve walking and cycling routes to Plumstead station with Southeastern and Thameslink services.
That project will enhance access to numerous bus routes as well as Plumstead High Street and its amenities. A BRT is likely to stop here.
From here the Bus Rapid Transit route will swing west beside Plumstead station heading along Plumstead Road towards Woolwich.
It’s another wide three-lane road westbound with a dedicated bus lane.
And again, more new homes are on the rise as well as a rebuilt college.
And before you know it we’re in Woolwich near two stations serving the Elizabeth line, DLR, Southeastern and Thameslink.
And more planned housing including Armourers Court.
Journey time
How long would it take between north Thamesmead and Woolwich’s ample pubic transport? Well currently the all-stopping, high frequency 472 does it in 10 minutes.
A limited stop BRT with changes at the one-way system could perhaps shave a couple of minutes off. That’s still longer than it takes from north Thamesmead to reach the Elizabeth line, Thameslink and Southeastern in Abbey Wood at around seven minutes on Superloop route SL3.
Though of course Woolwich also offers numerous sources of leisure, education and employment.
Despite the myths that Thamesmead – even the far north – is extremely remote it’s often just 5-10 minutes from excellent rail links (with south Thamesmead walkable to Abbey Wood station), thus the main benefit of a Bus Rapid transit is extra capacity permitting major housing growth and beginning the process to create a decent town centre for the town.
It begun in the 1980s with promise, was badly impacted by poor planning in the 1990s and could well start again.
Woolwich terminus
In Woolwich the route would probably stop beside the Elizabeth line station and town centre.
Some of that £23 million funding would also come in handy here at the dual carriageway severing the town in two.
Transport for London have already consulted on major road changes in the area as part of another project but with no mention of the BRT route.
The road layout remains more akin to motorway than through a major town centre with guardrails helping to add to that feel.
There’s seven lanes of tarmac here (and very extensive paving) to work with to revamp the space for a major BRT stop.
This is also where any plan could conflict with existing schemes (see also the gyratory in Plumstead) given a 801-home development has been approved alongside.
That includes approved plans for landscaping the area outside including wide raised planters.
And that’s where the Bus Rapid Transit is likely to end. Unless of course it extends a tad further west to near the ferry.
If so, that would link Superloop route SL3 terminating in Thamesmead and SL2 commencing just over the Thames in north Woolwich.
Conflicts
How a Bus Rapid Transit slots into existing plans raises many questions. While it may link two Superloop Routes will it be formally part of Superloop (in turn messing up the logic of clockwise naming of routes SL1-10)?
Then there’s the proposed extension of Superloops revealed by Sadiq Khan before his re-election.
That included a route from Thamesmead to Greenwich via Woolwich. A separate route? The BRT extending on to Greenwich?
Tram or DLR?
Then we get into how this project feeds into long term improvements needed to really ramp up housebuilding in north Thamesmead.
Clearly there’s many groups that have long called for the DLR. As I’ve stated before I’m dubious that will happen for two main reasons:
Firstly, funding and politics. It’s not cheap (last year costed at £1.7 billion) and north v south arguments will rage if London sees another major project given the green light soon. Labour already seem very reluctant to commit to capital funding anywhere when it comes on transport. See also Rachel Reeves announcement of a £20 billion black hole currently in the news.
Second, future potential for serving other growth areas. When it gets to Thamesmead the DLR will go nowhere. It won’t link to Abbey Wood or Woolwich stations. It won’t go to Belvedere or Erith with thousands of homes planned there. Bexley council want it but the DLR won’t be cheap to extend.
Capacity
For existing residents (and most future residents) in Thamesmead an express bus taking 5-10 minutes to the Elizabeth line/Thameslink/DLR/Southeastern at Abbey Wood and Woolwich will get them to much of London and beyond quicker than the DLR ever will via Beckton.
But as we know a bus alone won’t get 10k homes built in Thamesmead. Capacity will be needed. The BRT could get the ball rolling on the first few thousand and assist the process of creating a decent town centre Thamesmead.
I’d wager any DLR will first go to Beckton gasworks without the expensive need for tunnelling under the Thames for a solitary Thamesmead stop. A high capacity Bus Rapid Transit (which could take the form of high capacity double deckers or articulated buses) would then enable north Thamesmead to see major growth commence.
In time when central government feel it’s politically possible, funding for a Thamesmead extension could be approved. However it still won’t help the 10k homes earmarked for Erith and Belvedere and still require a change for Abbey Wood and Woolwich.
Light rail
What could link growth areas is a high capacity, high frequency tram network replacing the BRT from north Thamesmead to Woolwich in the west and beyond to north Greenwich along the lines of the scrapped Greenwich Waterfront Transit scheme, while to the east head to Erith and Belvedere.
That then links many areas of growth including:
Belvedere: 8k homes proposed in Bexley Council’s growth strategy. Sites already approved include 1,250 north of station.
Erith: 6k homes in the Bexley growth strategy.
Abbey Wood: Thousands of homes planned at numerous Peabody sites as well as petrol station, Bexley council plot and former PDSA site.
Thamesmead: 10-15k homes at various site
Plumstead: Lombard Square as well as college rebuild. Possible further growth at bus station, other retail parks and low rise areas
Woolwich: Numerous sites such as Woolwich Exchange, Royal Arsenal, Morris Walk rebuild etc
Charlton: 8k+ homes (Charlton Riverside masterplan sees up to 8k with other sites just outside adding further homes)
Greenwich Peninsula: Up to 20k homes (17k+ in approved Greenwich peninsula masterplan plus Morden Wharf, Fairview site etc)
Existing rail stations will help some of those areas alongside the Superloop and a Bus Rapid Transit, but those aren’t enough hence the DLR calls. Yet the DLR will also benefit few of those areas under current plans. A multitude of plans will be needed in a time of financial restraint from government.
If this government are serious about housebuilding they’ll also need to find a way to support it. The BRT however will offer short term benefits and the potential route of a future tram to link numerous growth areas.
How it all shakes out will be fascinating to see.
It is an odd one isn’t it given extending a Superloop should be enough initially to get the ball rolling on new homes in the near term so what’s the £23m and using the term BRT with specific connotations for? Could there be a major island tram like platform in Woolwich in the middle of the road I wonder? Can’t really see what else the money could go on except glorified bus stops which look a bit like tram stops.
Fully agree a DLR is not happening or at least I hope not. Thamesmead Residents will have faster access to various parts of London on a BRT then Lizzie line negating the worth of the DLR. I can’t think of pretty much anywhere the DLR wold be faster except perhaps Beckton and what’s there? Very little. Even Stratford and the City would be faster by BRT or Superloop to nearby stations in a few minutes then DLR, Liz Line or Southeastern. We’re talking 20 minutes to Canary Wharf for example doing that.
Given funding is extremely tight I’d advocate any scarce infrastructure funding of large magnitude go towards Metroisation of Southeastern, for example, or the Bakerloo line extension. They would benefit far wider areas and unlock more housing. The DLR is a “nice to have” but in reality not really the best course for enabling housing and benefitting the most people in the current time.
The DLR to Thamesmead is only being pushed by politicians as their buddies in Peabody and Berkeley Homes want it built to boost their coffers.
If politicians were taking an overview of what transport schemes benefit the most people it wouldn’t be near the top. North-south transport links in the borough for one. TfL running trains is another with upgrades at various stations. Elizabeth line or enahnced services east from Abbey Wood through north Bexley and Kent. Peabody and Berkeley have many sites they havn’t begun to lift a finger at in some cases for decades beside Woolwich station and Abbey Wood station. Build them and then they may be worth listening too. As it is scarce resources shouldn’t be spent helping them when so much already has.
Every year the DLR isn’t built the higher costs will go. We could well be talking £2 billion now if nearing that in 2022/23? Maybe £2.5bn in five years? The section north of the Thames looks much cheaper than a tunnel across the river to Thamesmead. I think it’s a busted flush and we should be looking actively at the BRT as the first stage of a bigger, better, high capacity network across south-east London. Is a river crossing that important? There’s no major centres of employment or strategic links in Beckton to link to nor does it get close to the c2c line. Anyone who needs to get there can reach Crossrail quickly then that’ll whisk to Custom House for the Beckton DLR line in five minutes. For the projected cost benefits are slim. I just hope this carrot isn’t dangled for another 20 years while little happens. Drop it and focus on serious upgrades in other areas.
North Thamesmead would be a great candidate for an entirely new town centre. If they bulldozed the existing town centre, all the retail sheds and the leisure centre and tore up all the car parks, they would have almost 18 acres of lake and canal-side land that they could raise up to 6-8 storeys and provide thousands of homes.
If they mandated retail/amenities on the ground floor, opened a DLR station connecting to Beckton branch, brought the Overground down from Barking through to Abbey Wood (and beyond?), and ran regular buses through and it could be a genuinely liveable, car-free development with all amenities the new residents need and more for the surrounding areas
Pipe dream
I will have better luck saving up to move somewhere nicer
I agree there should be a new bus route between North Thamesmead and Woolwich. But it needs to be a normal bus routes stopping at all bus stops and serving new developments.
If a lot of money is going to be spent on a rapid transit system. The buses need to run to areas currently where there are no direct bus links like Thamesmead to Docklands or London City Airport via Silvertown Tunnel..
Also Thamesmead to Lewisham or Thamesmead to Bluewater for example
Most buses are made for more local journeys
.
Al TFL need to do is operate a new normal bus route at a high frequency between Thamesmead North and Woolwich every 6 to 7 minutes peak hours and Monday to Saturday daytimes and evety 10 minites all evenings and Sundays.. Due to limited terminus space in Woolwich buses could terminate at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Woolwich Common.
I agree KM. If a new xpress route is to be introduced operate it over part of the 180 route. North Thamesmead, Thamesmead, Abbey Wood, Plumstead, Woolwich, Lower Charlton, East Greenwich, Greenwich Town Centre, Lewisham Town Centre. But stopping a bit more
frequently than the current siperloop buses do so it is more convenient for passengers to use the route.
The loss of route 180 between Charlton and Lewisham via Greenwich when route 180 re-routed to North Greenwich was a huge loss for local.residents.
Absolutely. Again this is a case of the Mayor of London, Transport For London and Greenwich Council not listening to local people. People do not want anymore of the Mayor’s Superloope bus routes which are an expensive lightly used services which was a sweetener to introduce the extension of ULEZ a cross outer London.
We want local bus service improvements with newv local bus routes and frequencies increased on many existing bus routes..
We do possibly need some express bus routes to and from Central London which would be cheaper on use than the train or tube foe people on low incomes and people unable to use the tube or train due to accessibility issues or fear of using the train ot tube for safety concerns.
The new proposed bus route being relatively short should be a normal stopping bus service.