Transport for London will receive a £23 million grant from Homes England to deliver a new bus link for Thamesmead, improving connections to Abbey Wood and Woolwich on the Elizabeth line. The announcement, published on 1 December 2025, targets early transport upgrades for the Thamesmead Waterfront and Beckton Riverside regeneration sites.
The award comes through Homes England’s London Brownfield Infrastructure and Land programme and will be delivered ahead of the proposed Docklands Light Railway extension. Homes England says the intervention is intended to support 25,000–30,000 homes across roughly 145 hectares spanning the boroughs of Greenwich and Newham.
TfL describes the wider bus transit scheme as using dedicated infrastructure from Woolwich to Abbey Wood via Thamesmead, with improvements that also benefit other local bus routes and active travel. The authority adds that government has confirmed funding towards the scheme, subject to approval of a business case, and that consultations in Spring 2024 and Summer 2025 have shaped the options.
The bus funding sits alongside central government support for a cross‑river DLR extension from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via a new station at Beckton Riverside. HM Treasury’s Budget 2025 states that most costs will be met by London through TfL and Greater London Authority borrowing, with a government contribution over the long term; funding details will be finalised with London partners.
Homes England reports it has worked on the DLR extension since the project’s inception, alongside TfL, the Greater London Authority, Newham and Greenwich councils, developers and landowners, the Department for Transport and the housing department. In addition to capital, the agency will provide technical support to the programme.
The Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land fund is designed to remove delivery and viability barriers on housing‑led sites, including transport infrastructure where additional capacity is required. Eligible activity ranges from land preparation and remediation to utilities and transport works; the guidance was last updated on 9 April 2025.
For housing and regeneration teams, an early bus scheme provides public transport coverage ahead of the fixed‑rail build, allowing phased occupation to proceed with connections to the Elizabeth line at Abbey Wood and Woolwich. This sequencing aligns with the stated plan to deliver the bus works before the rail extension.
According to TfL, the rail scheme’s scope includes a new Beckton Riverside station, a tunnel under the Thames and a new Thamesmead station, with the project continuing through design and business case stages. Delivery remains subject to funding and consents, whereas the bus works proceed sooner under the Homes England grant.
Ministers present the transport package as a growth measure and a route to large‑scale housing delivery. The Budget text confirms government backing for the DLR extension while placing the majority of cost responsibility with London, and the Homes England award secures an early‑stage bus link that supports the two development areas.
Further detail on timing, procurement and service patterns will come through TfL’s business case process and associated approvals. TfL’s consultation materials will continue to inform the next stage of design, alongside engagement with the Greater London Authority and the two boroughs.