THE £180 million extension of the Docklands Light Railway under the Thames to Woolwich Arsenal has been opened seven weeks early by Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

Funded by Transport for London’s multi-billion pound investment programme, the brand new DLR station for south Woolwich is now linked to King George V station on the north side of the river.

Mr Johnson said: “I am delighted that this extension of DLR with its cracking new station is up and running to put Woolwich Arsenal firmly on the Tube map.

“The town has long lacked the transport links that en-courage creation of new jobs, homes and shops, and the extension will also play an important role in the Olympic transport network.”   

In boring the new tunnel at depths of up to 35 metres beneath the Thames, more than 100,000 cubic metres of spoil was extracted and moved down the river by barge to reduce impact on the roads.

The new station – fully integrated with national rail services at the existing main line station – has step-free access to platforms and trains. Two entrances, at Greens End and Woolwich New Road, provide ready interchange with bus services.

Woolwich now has six-minute connections to London City Airport and is within 20 minutes of Canary Wharf, 23 minutes of Stratford and 28 minutes of Bank. DLR services will run at six to seven minute intervals during peak periods.

The new link will help with the ongoing regeneration of Woolwich and the southern Royal Docks by supporting the creation of new jobs, homes, shops and leisure facilities along the route, and give the people of Woolwich, North Woolwich and Silvertown better access to employment, education and leisure facilities.

During the London 2012 Olympic Games it will serve the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich – venue of the shooting event – and provide an important link between south- east London and the Stratford Olympic Park.