Barking Riverside extension on track for autumn 2022 opening

London Overground’s £328 million extension to Barking Riverside remains on course to meet its revised opening date next autumn.

A personal assurance was given by Steve Balliston, Project Director for the joint venture - Morgan Sindall/VolkerFitzPatrick, who told RAIL that he was “110%” confident that there would be no further delays to its entry into service.

Having mobilised on site in April 2019, the joint venture had originally been expected to deliver the 4.5km (2.8-mile) extension of the Gospel Oak-Barking route in time to open for next month’s timetable change.

But that was before the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 forced all worksite activity to be abandoned for some 63 days, and a crucial signalling commissioning stage to be cancelled.

Meanwhile, the discovery of previously unidentified utilities also contributed to an announcement in December 2020 that the project was running several months late and would require an increase of almost £70m to its initial budget of £260m.

To read the full story, see RAIL 944