Homes England has awarded Transport for London a £23 million Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land (BIL) grant to deliver a new bus link serving the Thamesmead Waterfront and Beckton Riverside sites. Published on 1 December 2025, the agency’s statement says the link will connect into Abbey Wood and Woolwich Elizabeth line stations and be delivered ahead of a future Docklands Light Railway (DLR) extension.

Why it matters for the housing pipeline is straightforward: the bus link is intended to support early phases across roughly 145 hectares split between Newham and Greenwich. Homes England puts the long‑run capacity for the two sites at 25,000 to 30,000 homes, describing the transport package as essential to bringing new neighbourhoods forward.

Budget 2025 provides the rail backdrop. HM Treasury’s document confirms government support for London to deliver a DLR extension to Thamesmead and Beckton, with most costs met through TfL and Greater London Authority borrowing and a longer‑term central contribution. The Treasury also flags ongoing work with City Hall to finalise the funding model, including innovative financing options.

A joint policy statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Mayor of London, published on 28 November 2025, reiterates a shared aim to bring forward up to 25,000 homes and around 10,000 jobs across the two locations once the transport pieces are in place.

For SMEs the near‑term opportunity sits in enabling works rather than rail. BIL funding explicitly allows spend on transport infrastructure, utilities and public‑realm improvements. Expect multi‑year packages covering bus priority measures, stop upgrades, power and drainage-work typically accessible to local civil engineering and streetworks firms.

This sits alongside separate bus proposals. TfL consulted earlier in the year on an SL11 Superloop express route between Abbey Wood and North Greenwich via Thamesmead and Woolwich, including renumbering route 472. While distinct from the Bus Transit scheme, it signals an effort to speed up trips as the rail project advances.

On the DLR itself, TfL’s preferred option runs from Gallions Reach with new stations at Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead, including a new tunnel under the river. Subject to funding and approvals, TfL has previously indicated construction could begin in the late 2020s with services in the early 2030s.

Local government has welcomed the trajectory. Royal Greenwich, a long‑time backer of the scheme, described the Budget signal on the DLR as the “real action” needed after years of case‑making-pointing to Woolwich’s Elizabeth line uplift as a guide to how reliable links can boost high streets and housing delivery.

Ministers and delivery bodies are aligning their messages. Housing Secretary Steve Reed frames the DLR plan as pro‑growth transport that opens up land for new homes and jobs; Homes England chief executive Amy Rees highlights joint working; and TfL’s Alex Williams calls the bus funding an important step for connecting Thamesmead and Beckton Riverside. All three positions were set out in the official announcement.

What to watch now: design detail for the bus corridors, procurement timetables for enabling works, and the final shape of the DLR financing package. Budget 2025 explicitly says Whitehall will continue working with London to pin down the deal-a key variable for developers, lenders and local contractors weighing investment over the next two to three years.