The extension of the DLR would improve transport connections and enable the construction of up to 25,000-30,000 new homes along the route.

Under the business plan, DLR proposes an extension from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside adding two more stations to the route, opening up development potential along both banks of the Thames.

Government capital funding would also be necessary to begin construction as early as 2028. This would enable the link to open to customers in the early 2030s.

TfL is working with local councils and three major landowners – Peabody and Lendlease’s Thamesmead Waterfront JV, investor abrdn and Berkeley Group’s housing arm St William – to collaboratively develop plans.

The project would take learnings from the 2009 when the DLR was extended to Woolwich Arsenal tunnelling beneath the River Thames, with housing growth following in areas including Woolwich, Canning Town, Pontoon Dock and West Silvertown.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Extending the DLR would unlock huge opportunities for London.

“It would support tens of thousands of new homes, deliver new transport connections, and boost the economy – supporting the creation of thousands of jobs. Investment in our transport network is key to building a better, fairer, more prosperous London for all.”