FAQs

Plans for Silvertown Tunnel were first developed by TfL in 2012, and since 2021, we and our partner Riverlinx have been building a new road tunnel under the Thames linking the Greenwich Peninsula to Newham and the nearby A13. 

The new Silvertown Tunnel is 1.4km long with two lanes in each direction, one of which will be dedicated for double-deck buses, coaches, and HGVs. With tunnelling now complete, we expect to open the tunnel in spring 2025. 

The existing infrastructure in this part of London is no longer fit for purpose, with the northbound bore of the Blackwall Tunnel originally designed for horse and carts over 125 years ago. The congestion and air pollution caused by the regular traffic queues and constant closures of the tunnel is unsustainable and unfair to local communities. 

The Blackwall Tunnel has approximately 700 closures a year on average, with around one million hours wasted each year as a result. If the tunnel is closed for only six minutes, the queue quickly extends to three miles. More significant closures result in traffic chaos across east and southeast London, as there are no suitable alternative river crossings available. 

There is a lack of highway river-crossings in east London compared to west, with only three crossings of the Thames east of Tower Bridge. This further impacts the opportunity for cross-river trips to be made by bus. 

Our extensive development work has shown that the Silvertown Tunnel scheme will effectively reduce congestion, support sustainable growth, and deliver an overall improvement in air quality. The new modern tunnel will enable faster and more reliable journey times, reduce the impact of traffic congestion on some of London’s most polluted roads and provide more opportunities to cross the river by public transport with a network of zero-emission (at the tailpipe) buses offering new routes and better access to more destinations.

When it opens in 2025, the Silvertown Tunnel will help reduce delays and queues at the Blackwall Tunnel, with journey times up to 20 minutes faster at peak times. It will also help reduce the environmental impact of traffic congestion on some of London's most polluted roads and provide more opportunities to cross the river by public transport with a network of zero-emission (at the tailpipe) buses offering new routes and better access to more destinations. 

Cyclists will also benefit from a new cycle-shuttle bus operating across the river, linking into improved local cycle routes. This will be free for at least 12 months after Silvertown Tunnel opens. The scheme will also provide walking, cycling and landscaping improvements around the new tunnel entrances on each side of the river.

East London has long been underserved by river crossings and this scheme will provide local residents and businesses with a solution to the chronic issues at the Blackwall Tunnel. 

The combination of a new modern tunnel, the user charges to manage traffic flow and enhanced public transport will help residents and businesses by: 

• Delivering faster, more reliable journeys, with travel times up to 20 minutes quicker during peak times
    
• Saving more time for local businesses on both sides of the river, letting them get to clients and jobs more quickly and reliably. It will also drive jobs growth in east London
   
• Providing more opportunities for residents to cross the river by public transport, with a network of zero-emission buses. At present cross-river bus connectivity in east London is limited, with no crossing for double deck buses between Tower Bridge and the Dartford crossing. Now, in addition to the route 108 (via Blackwall Tunnel), there will be a new Superloop SL4 route and route 129 will be extended, providing 21 cross-river buses per hour  in each direction in the busiest times between 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday, transforming cross-river travel and offering better access to places like Canary Wharf and the Royal Docks
   
• Providing a link for cyclists to cross the river via a bus shuttle service in the Silvertown Tunnel
   
• Improving the resilience of the road network by providing an alternative crossing when Blackwall is closed
   
• Reducing the environmental and air quality impact of traffic congestion on some of London's most polluted roads

We must apply user charges at both tunnels to effectively manage traffic and ensure the economic benefits of the scheme are delivered, as well as mitigating the environmental impacts. If charges were not levied, traffic using both tunnels would increase, and drivers would continue to experience major delays. Delays and congestion contribute to poorer air quality levels. The user charge is designed to manage levels of traffic using the tunnels and deliver an overall improvement on air quality.  

The user charging revenue will also help support the costs of the construction, on-going maintenance, and operation of the Silvertown Tunnel.  

Charging is a requirement of the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Silvertown Tunnel made by the Secretary of State for Transport and known as the Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018.

 Table 1: Proposed User Charges

Setting the level of the user charges is supported by extensive traffic modelling and environmental assessment work. In setting the proposed user charges (including charge levels for different vehicles, charging hours, discounts and exemptions, and other factors), we have considered a range of factors, including the potential impact on the road network, the environment and the impact on different groups though an Equalities Impact Assessment (EqIA). We considered a range of user charge levels to determine which would most effectively contribute to achieving the Project Objectives. 

Setting a user charge is a requirement of the Development Consent Order (DCO) for the Silvertown Tunnel made by the Secretary of State for Transport and known as the Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018.  

In setting the level of the user charges we must ensure they are fair, justified and will not undermine the Project Objectives we are obliged to deliver under the DCO.

The Silvertown Tunnel scheme is designed to deliver seven Project Objectives:

• Improve the resilience of the river crossings in the highway network in east and southeast London to cope with planned and unplanned events and incidents
   
• Improve the road network performance of the Blackwall Tunnel and its approach roads
   
• Support economic and population growth, particularly in east and southeast London, by providing improved cross-river transport links
   
• Integrate with local and strategic land use policies
   
• Minimise any adverse impacts of any proposals on communities, health, safety and the environment
   
• Ensure where possible that any proposals are acceptable in principle to key stakeholders, including affected boroughs
   
• Achieve value for money and, through tunnel user charging, to manage congestion

Yes, our proposal is to charge the same rate for both tunnels. The purpose of introducing tunnel user charges for the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels is to manage traffic effectively and deliver the expected transport, environmental and economic benefits. The user charges will also provide a means of helping to pay for the design, construction and on-going maintenance and operation of the scheme.  

While the Blackwall Tunnel is currently free to use, it suffers from chronic issues of congestion and regular traffic incidents, meaning the cross-river road network has poor resilience with no suitable alternative crossings in this part of London. This has a significant negative impact on travel, the economy and the environment across wide areas of east and southeast London. Regular tailbacks lead to miles of queuing traffic and poor air quality.  

If we introduce a user charge on one of these neighbouring tunnels and not the other, the benefits of the scheme will not be realised. Drivers will favour the non-charged tunnel, despite its constraints, and will not make best use of the new infrastructure. Given the tunnels’ proximity on the south side, if the Blackwall Tunnel were not subject to a charge, queues would build up as they do today and inhibit access to the Silvertown Tunnel.  As well as removing the benefit of reduced congestion, other benefits such as the opportunity for enhanced cross-river bus provision would be eroded. 

Implementing user charges at both tunnels was discussed during the public examination for the scheme in 2016 and reasoning set out in the Charging Policy and Procedures . It includes why it is fundamental for traffic demand management and to successfully deliver all the project objectives that the Blackwall Tunnel be charged along with the Silvertown Tunnel. 

We have published our proposed user charge levels and set out a green and fair package of discounts and exemptions within this consultation. Following a review of responses to the consultation, and engagement with the Silvertown Tunnel Implementation Group (STIG) - the statutory consultees from 12 London boroughs the GLA and National Highways - a final decision on the user charge levels will be made by the TfL Board. 

We will publish a final Statement of Charges no less than 56 days before the new tunnel opens and the user charge comes into effect. We will use our website and other channels as appropriate to ensure drivers are aware of the user charge and how to pay.

The user charge for both the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels will be in place when the new Silvertown Tunnel opens, which is planned for spring 2025.

To pay the user charge for Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels, and guarantee the cheapest journeys, customers will be encouraged to register for an automatic payment account known as ‘Auto Pay’. It is free to register and removes the risk of receiving a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for non-payment of charges. However, it will still be possible to pay the user charges without registering for an account, using other payment channels such as our website, the TfL pay to drive app or by calling and using the interactive voice recognition system (non-digital channel).  

For customers using Auto Pay, standard off-peak charges will apply most of the time. Peak period charges will only apply in the morning peak northbound from 06:00 to 10:00 and the evening peak southbound, between 16:00 and 19:00, Monday to Friday. For those not registered for Auto Pay, peak period charges will apply at all times. 

With Auto Pay, the total charge payment is automatically calculated on a monthly basis and the amount owed deducted from the account holder’s recurring payment card or by direct debit. Users will receive a monthly statement prior to payment being collected.  

Customers not registered for Auto Pay will have up to three calendar days after the day of travel to make their payment. Those that do not pay within three days of each trip through the tunnels, will be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice of £180 (reduced to £90 if paid within two weeks). A maximum of one PCN per day will be issued.  

Charges would apply each time a crossing is made between 06:00 and 22:00 every day except Christmas Day.

No. Existing Auto Pay customers already registered will automatically be charged for journeys made through the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels, once the charges come into effect in 2025. 

Customers with an active Congestion Charge Blue Badge discount, 9+ seater discount, or Accredited Breakdown / Recovery vehicle discount will also automatically be covered for Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel charges and will not need to register again.  

Further to the outcome of our consultation, customers meeting the criteria for a Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels discount will need to apply, and we will advise of this process ahead of tunnel opening.

An initial set of discounts and exemptions was proposed as part of the Development Consent Order assessment in 2016. This list is recorded in the Charging Policies and Procedures.  

We have now re-assessed the initial discounts and exemptions and have made some amendments to balance the scheme’s traffic, environmental, socio-economic and financial objectives, while ensuring discounts and exemptions are fair and directed at those most in need. 

You can read more about how we developed the proposals in our Tunnel User Charges Supplementary Information. 

The proposed Discounts and Exemptions are summarised below and will be confirmed closer to tunnel opening. You can read more about how we developed the proposals in our Tunnel User Charges Supplementary Information. 

Table 2: Proposed Discounts, Exemptions and Reimbursements  

A website checker tool will be available on the main TfL website to check the charges for your vehicle type and to help identify the best time of day for travel. 

A comprehensive public information campaign will also be launched ahead of the Silvertown Tunnel opening and the commencement of charging for using the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels. A multi-channel campaign will raise awareness and inform local residents, businesses and drivers and other potential tunnel users about how the tunnels will operate, hours of operation, user charges and how to pay them, including information on how to register for Auto Pay, as well as for discounts and exemptions if required. 

Most of the time, most drivers using the tunnel (and registered for Auto Pay) will pay a standard off-peak charge, with peak charges applying weekdays northbound from 06:00 to 10:00 and southbound between 16:00 and 19:00 only.  

People using the tunnel during the night (22:00-06:00) won’t pay anything and we are also proposing the tunnels will be free to use on Christmas Day.

As there is no universal definition of low-income, we have established a set of criteria that can be evidenced. Low-income has been defined as those who are in receipt of one of the following means-tested income benefits:   

• Income Support
• Income-related Employment & Support Allowance
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Working Tax Credit
• Carer’s Allowance

In determining this we also looked at previous schemes which have an established track record and delivery mechanism such as the ULEZ scrappage scheme and the TfL bus / tram concession.  

To ensure discounts and exemptions are directed at those most in need and to help Londoners and businesses prepare, we are proposing to introduce a wide-ranging, green and fair package of bus and other public transport concessions in addition to the discounts and exemptions.  

The proposed package includes:   

• A 50% discount for low-income drivers living in east London 
• A £1 discount on the standard off-peak charge for small businesses and charities, for at least one year. 
• Free cross-river bus and DLR travel to support local residents for at least one year.
• A regular bus shuttle service through the Silvertown Tunnel for cyclists, free for at least one year.  
• No charge for Blue Badge holders registered with TfL. 
• Reimbursement for NHS staff and patients eligible for the NHS reimbursement scheme. 

We also propose no charge for taxis, or for wheelchair accessible or zero-emission-capable private hire vehicles registered with TfL and DVLA-registered minibuses, buses and coaches. 

The discount is proposed for low-income drivers living in the boroughs of: Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, City of London, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest. 

The new and expanded bus routes and the cross-river cycle shuttle will be available from tunnel opening to support the community and businesses. 

We are seeking views on a low-income residents’ discount within our consultation and will consider additional support if required.

Further information will be provided when the final package of support is confirmed.  Low-income drivers in east London will need to confirm their primary residence is in one of the following boroughs: Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, City of London, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest and also provide evidence for proof of income. 

Small businesses and charities must also be registered as active within the local boroughs of Greenwich, Newham or Tower Hamlets. Vehicles that are exempt will not have to register.  Public transport concessions including the cycle-shuttle bus will either be nil-charge or automatic refund. 

Ahead of the Silvertown Tunnel opening and the commencement of charging for using the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels, a multi-channel campaign will raise awareness and inform local residents, businesses and drivers and other potential tunnel users about how the tunnels will operate, hours of operation, user charges and how to pay them, including information on how to register for Auto Pay, as well as discounts.

If you would like more information on the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels User Charge consultation, please visit our website for full information – including our technical consultation documents..

To register your views on our proposal, please see the consultation questionnaire. The questionnaire highlights the specific areas on which we are seeking your feedback. 

You can also contact us by email TC-yourview@tfl.gov.uk, via our telephone call back service (020 3054 6037) or in writing (FREEPOST TFL HAVE YOUR SAY).

The closing date for comments is Tuesday 3 September 2024.