With less a month to go until the Silvertown Tunnel opens on 7 April, Transport for London (TfL) has revealed the final details of the new Cycle Shuttle Service, which will to allow cyclists to take advantage of the new cross-river connection.
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The service, which will run through the Silvertown Tunnel from 7 April 2025, will operate every 12 minutes from 06:30 to 21:30, and be free to use for at least the first year.
The Silvertown Tunnel Cycle Shuttle Service, which has new and unique silver and blue branding, is designed to allow people with cycles to use the tunnel to safely cross the river between Silvertown and North Greenwich.
The service will carry a variety of standard and non-standard cycles, and will have two stops, one on each side of the river, with the 'north' stop located on Seagull Lane close to Royal Victoria DLR station, and the 'south' stop located on Millennium Way near the junction with Old School Close.
Pedestrians travelling without a cycle will not be permitted to use the service but will benefit from other improved cross-river bus services launching with the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel, including the new SL4 Superloop route.
The service has been designed to carry a range of cycle designs, including pedal cycles, tricycles, folded cycles, adaptive cycles and cargo cycles.
In order to ensure safety and accessibility for all passengers, all cycles conveyed on the service should be no longer than 2.14 metres, no wider than 0.76m and no higher than 1.4m at the handlebar, and weigh less than 300kg including rider and any property carried by the cycle.
E-bikes, as well as Santander Cycles and third-party hire bikes or e-bikes, will also be allowed to use the service.
Unlike other cross-river cycle options such as the Dartford Crossing, this service has been designed to be provide much greater capacity and convenience for multiple cycles and with the high frequency of the service, cyclists will be able to plan their routes more flexibly.
Inside, the shuttle bus will have two separate bays for cycle storage. Each bay can hold up to four standard cycles, with one bay prioritised for non-standard cycles. Folding cycles, luggage and equipment can also be stored in dedicated luggage racks.
The bus will lower itself towards the kerb at stops to assist customers with boarding and a ramp can also be deployed to ensure step-free boarding. As with all TfL bus operations, drivers will not be able to provide physical assistance to passengers, including getting cycles off and on the service.
The layout of the bus has undergone testing to ensure that it not only allows the widest range of cycles to be able to use the service, but also complies with vehicle guidelines from the DVSA.
Now its innovative design has been approved, TfL will continue to seek customer feedback to ensure that the service operates efficiently for customers, consider what improvements are possible as the service develops, as well as share learnings with other transport bodies in case they wish to replicate its design to support cyclists in their cities and towns.
First announced in 2012, the 1.4km Silvertown Tunnel will link Newham to the Greenwich Peninsula and, supported by the new user charges, will make journeys faster and more reliable, with average journey time savings expected to be up to 20 minutes at peak times.
The tunnel is also located in the Ultra Low Emission Zone and will also support economic growth and allow TfL to increase the number of buses able to cross the river in this area from six to 21 buses an hour in each direction during the busiest times - all of which will be zero emission at the tailpipe.
As first proposed in 2012 and required as part of the development consent for the new tunnel, a user charge will be introduced for those using the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels between 06:00 and 22:00, seven days a week from 7 April 2025.
The proximity of the two tunnels has meant that, ever since the plans were first conceived, both need to be charged to ensure that traffic levels do not increase as a result of drivers seeking to use the uncharged crossing.
An off-peak rate of £1.50 for cars, motorcycles and small vans will apply the majority of the time, for vehicles registered for TfL AutoPay.
To manage traffic during the busiest times, peak charges would apply, set at £1 more than standard off-peak charges for motorcycles and an extra £2.50 for cars and small vans.
These will apply for four hours northbound in the morning (from 06:00 to 10:00) and three hours southbound in the evening (from 16:00 to 19:00), Monday to Friday, or for anyone not using TfL AutoPay to pay for the charge.
To help residents and businesses, and to support people to use new public transport connections, a wide range of concessions and discounts has been proposed, including a 50 per cent discount, which would be available for low-income residents in 12 east and southeast London boroughs and the City of London.
Bus journeys made on three cross-river routes that serve Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich - all of which will be zero-emission - will be free for at least one year.
In addition, cross-river journeys on the DLR from Greenwich / Cutty Sark to Island Gardens, and from Woolwich Arsenal to King George V - which will also support cyclists wishing to cross the river in off-peak hours - will also be refunded for at least one year. ■