The Mayor of London celebrates the opening of Barking Riverside station
The new Barking Riverside station opened to customers on Monday 18 July, helping transform journeys to the developing area of east London and supporting the delivery of more than 10,000 new homes. As part of the VolkerFitzpatrick Morgan Sindall Infrastructure joint venture (MSVF), the development of the new station included a 1.5 kilometre viaduct and new railway line, as well as modifying and realigning existing operational infrastructure.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, joined London's Transport Commissioner, Andy Byford, and Matthew Carpen from Barking Riverside Limited to officially celebrate the opening of the new station on 25 July.
Barking Riverside is one of the fastest growing areas of east London. With around 3,000 homes built or under construction, the new railway will help unlock more than 7,000 further homes along with new leisure facilities, schools and riverside walks.
The 178-hectare brownfield site on the northern bank of the River Thames will become home to an estimated 30,000 new residents with Barking Riverside station an intrinsic part of the development. Sitting at the heart of a new public square and only a five-minute walk from the riverfront, Barking Riverside station forms part of the extended Gospel Oak to Barking route. Residents and visitors using the new station can now benefit from quicker and easier journeys. Journey times to Barking have been dramatically cut by more than two thirds to around seven minutes, while the city is now accessible in just 22 minutes.
Since work began in 2018, the project team has undertaken over £191 million of social value activity to support local schools, sports clubs, community and outreach programmes. This has also included several targeted work placement programmes including Get into Transport, Women in Construction and Steps into Work. In particular, a focus on inclusive local recruitment has led to over 70 people from diverse backgrounds gaining experience in the UK rail industry, with representation including women, people from minority ethnic backgrounds, those with disabilities, and people who were previously unemployed, leading to positive outlooks for careers within the UK rail industry.
The project team also sponsored Barking Rugby Club, as well as providing fitness, nutrition, and careers advice to young members at various events. During the four years of construction, businesses from around the UK have benefited from the Barking Riverside Extension. Delivered by the VolkerFitzpatrick Morgan Sindall Infrastructure joint venture (MSVF) joint venture, the project's supply chain partners have supported 39 apprenticeships.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said "I'm delighted that the new Barking Riverside London Overground station recently opened to customers, ahead of schedule. Residents will now benefit from a modern, spacious new station and greatly reduced journey times with Barking just seven minutes away."
Andy Byford, London's transport commissioner, said, "I'm immensely proud to see this fantastic addition to our public transport network at Barking Riverside. It will make a real difference to so many people's lives and it is also a clear example of the importance of investment in transport - it's the key to unlock skills, jobs and homes. It's a great credit to all those who worked on the project that we have been able to open the station months earlier than planned and I would like to thank all our partners for their collaborative efforts, including the MSVF joint venture of Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and VolkerFitzpatrick, Network Rail and Arriva Rail London."
Steve Balliston, project director for MSVF (Morgan Sindall Infrastructure VolkerFitzpatrick) joint venture, said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team, along with TfL and our supply chain, who have worked brilliantly together, with a ‘best for project’ approach, despite the pandemic and many other challenges. With dedication and commitment, we have safely and efficiently brought this project to completion ahead of schedule, meeting the client’s needs for revenue service. It has been a real privilege to be a part of a project that has worked so closely with the local community and created a legacy that will provide better connectivity and employment benefits."
