Woolwich Elizabeth line station demand: Many homes nearby set to complete
One of the biggest success stories of the Elizabeth line has been the sheer number of people using stations in Woolwich and Abbey Wood.
Unfortunately the branch to south east London wasn’t always built with long-term growth in mind with both stations seeing entrances at only one end of the station.
At Woolwich that has already led to a trial one-way system being implemented due to crowding, and in the near future many more homes will complete near the station nearby adding to passenger numbers.
In recent weeks bus journeys past a number of sites in south east London have shown a number major developments start to see their first homes complete. One such site comprises a number blocks at Lombard Square in west Thamesmead.
Forget any Thamesmead DLR plan that may or may not appear one day, it’ll always be easier and quicker for people here to reach the Elizabeth line at Woolwich, though not having a planned Bus Rapid Transit open in 2026 beside the site in 2026 isn’t great. A new date of 2029 has been set.
Upon completion this development will see 1,913 homes. Currently much work is underway with the first blocks beside Pettman Crescent now ready to welcome the first residents.
Plumstead
A short distance away is a rebuilt college building for Plumstead and new homes beside. More will follow and in total 282 homes are coming here.
In the recent past another 333 homes have risen nearby beside the Broadwater canal.
Fairview Homes are behind that development.
Woolwich development
Heading into Woolwich proper and a student block has topped out in Woolwich with 299 rooms.
Work also appears ongoing at 660 homes at Ropewards on Beresford Street in Woolwich.
Another Berkeley site nearby has seen the final two towers looking just about ready to welcome the first residents.
At the Woolwich ferry a look over the Thames shows that a long-stalled block in North Woolwich is finally near finished after a previous contractor went under.
I suppose it may be a stretch that residents would walk under the foot tunnel – or use the ferry – to use the Elizabeth line but you never know. If little else it’s good to see work finally progress after the previous contractor went under.
Heading west and its not long until we reach the rebuilt Morris Walk estate in the western end of Woolwich not too far from Charlton.
The northern side of the old estate has doubled from 152 former homes with 304 replacements. Morris Walk south’s total increases from 410 to 462.
Charlton
A few metres west of that spot and a new block at Charlton is also all but complete to the rear of the old Victoria pub.
Head past this area and we’re getting close to the Jubilee line and it may be a stretch to think people will use the Liz line but you never know.
The Jubilee line isn’t too far on a bus – except TfL are axing the 472 bus in January 2026 (supported oddly by Greenwich council) and many of the previously mentioned developments will see a sizeable reduction in buses calling beside when the 472 is removed and the SL11 starts.
As for Woolwich station, revised plans have recently gone in for towers above the eastern end of the station with Armourers Court including 575 homes. That’ll be more pressure, but no, there are still no plans for another station entrance below. It could be a one-off chance lost which won’t be there again anytime soon.
I’ll cover those revised plans soon. A half-written post has been lingering in my draft folder for some time.
I think that Woolwich Elizabeth Line station should be renamed as Woolwich Central station. As it serves Woolwich town centre and is close to Woolwich Arsenal and near to Woolwich Dockyard.
And with plans to extend the Elizabeth Line from Abbey Wood to Dartford and Gravesend.
Woolwich Elizabeth Line Station had proved to be really popular witb locals iliving in Woolwich and peopke travelling to the station from across the Borough..
I would like to see improvements to bus services in the Kidbrooke and Eltham areas thar still do not have a direct bus route to Wookwich for the Elizabeth Line Station, Woolwich Aresnal DLR Station or to the nearby Queen Elizabeth Hospital.. Areas with our a direct bus services include the area around Westmount Road and the busy Rochester Way in Kidbrooke just ti naked a couple of areas that need a bus service to Woolwich. This is something both Greenwich Council and TFL need to look in to as soon as possible..
Not building second exits for Woolwich and Abbey Wood stations must be one of the worst examples of short term thinking by governments in recent years.
At Abbey Wood, scores of people have to content with 4 or so barriers in the main station, when many of those will be wanted to head to parts of the Abbey Wood and Coop estates to the west of the station. There is vacant land right on the north western end of the platforms to put an exit onto Mottisfont Road. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out access from the southwestern corner near the church onto Abbey Grove either, adding another much needed crossing over the train tracks
In Woolwich, not putting an exit at the Plumstead Road end of the station is just criminal. The access is right there for ventilation – it only needed escalators and a street level fit out. Granted that’s a couple of million, but chump change in the context of the line. It could have gone some way to rejuvenating that long, barren stretch of Plumstead Road and alleviating chronic overcrowding at Woolwich.