Docklands Light Railway Woolwich Arsenal extension, London
- Client: Docklands Light Railway Ltd
- Principal designer: Halcrow Group Ltd
- Principal engineer: Weston Williamson
- Principal contractor: Morgan Est/Colas Rail (Joint Venture)
- Contract value: £180 million
About the project
The Woolwich Arsenal extension comprises 2.5km of new railway, in parallel twin bore tunnels, from King George V Dock under the Thames to a new underground station in Woolwich town centre. The new station is integrated with the existing Network Rail station, which was partly upgraded as part of the project.
The new connection is important for the people of Woolwich, an area previously deprived of reliable public transport. It will help spur regeneration by providing access to Canary Wharf and London Docklands and will provide an important transport link for the London 2012 Olympics and its legacy.
The project aimed to be as sustainable as possible. A temporary casting facility on site cast all 19,200 tunnel segments, cutting out the need for road journeys of over 800,000 miles. Spoil from tunnelling was removed by barge, again reducing road traffic movement. An emergency and ventilation shaft on the south bank has a ‘green roof’, and uses hard and soft landscaping.
Excellent relationships with partners and stakeholders were key to successful delivery and all work was completed seven weeks ahead of schedule.
Judges' comment
"Delivered on-budget and finished early, this light rail connection gives Woolwich and its inhabitants important new access to London Docklands through a series of technically challenging interventions."
