The new Silvertown tunnel opens on April 7 2025

Faster cross-river journeys

Silvertown Tunnel will help enable faster cross-river journeys at peak times (06:00-10:00 northbound and southbound 16:00-19:00, Mon-Fri), between north and south of the River Thames in east London, helping to reduce congestion in and around Blackwall Tunnel. This is based on modelled data compared to a scenario without the Silvertown Tunnel (see our User Charging Assessment Framework for more information).

Providing more public transport services for Londoners

In addition to existing Blackwall Tunnel services, zero-emission bus services through Silvertown Tunnel will offer new routes and better access to more destinations. Across both tunnels, there will be 21 buses an hour in each direction during peak times between 07:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday. These include the new express bus route Superloop SL4 and extended route 129. Route 108 will continue crossing through Blackwall Tunnel.  A dedicated bus lane in both directions across Silvertown Tunnel will allow double-deck buses to cross the river east of Tower Bridge for the first time.

New free shuttle service through Silvertown Tunnel for cyclists

A new dedicated shuttle service will let cyclists rack their bikes and take a shuttle bus through Silvertown Tunnel, helping them cross safely, with clear directions to cycleways from the stops on both sides of the river.

Stops for this service will be located at Seagull Lane (north stop) and Millennium Way (south stop). There will be 5 buses per hour between 06:30 and 21:30, every day except Christmas Day. This service will be free to use for cyclists for at least 12 months. All buses will be zero-emission at the tailpipe.

For the safety of both cyclists and drivers, cycling and walking through the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels will not be permitted.

See a map of cycleway routes and more information about cycling.

Bus and DLR concessions to support local residents

There will also be concessions for local residents to take advantage of the new public transport connections. Local residents will benefit from free pay as you go bus fares on certain routes which serve the boroughs of Greenwich, Newham and Tower Hamlets, for at least 12 months once Silvertown Tunnel opens. These routes include the new express bus service Superloop SL4 and extended route 129 which will go through the Silvertown Tunnel, and the existing route 108 through Blackwall Tunnel.

Pay as you go customers will be able to start and end their journeys at any point along the bus routes, and customers must continue to touch in as they board the bus. To be able to travel on these bus routes, customers must use one of the following valid payment methods:

• Contactless card or device
• Valid concession photocard
• Credit for pay as you go travel on an Oyster card

For both Oyster and contactless, the pay as you go fare will be £0, so no money will be taken from your chosen payment method, (but you will need to ensure your payment method is valid and doesn't have a negative balance).

There are no changes to the Hopper fare or pay as you go fare caps.

There will be no change for customers with valid 60+ London Oyster cards and Older Person's Freedom Passes. Customers will need to present their card/pass to a card reader when boarding as usual and can only use them during valid times. This means that 60+ London Oyster cards and Older Person's Freedom Passes will not be valid on these 3 bus routes on weekdays between 04:30 - 08:59. During these times, contactless or a valid Oyster card can be used and free travel applies as above.

Other zip and concessions cards are valid at all times and can be used as normal.

DLR 

For at least 12 months after Silvertown Tunnel opens, customers using pay as you go for journeys between the following station pairs will have their fares refunded: 

• Cutty Sark - Island Gardens 
• Woolwich Arsenal - King George V  

Refund process

Contactless pay as you go fares 

Customers must touch in and out at the station as usual, and the fare for the journey will be taken as normal. A refund will automatically be issued to customers' cards in at least 14 days of completing the journey - no further customer actions are needed.

If a customer doesn't touch in and out correctly for their journey, it will be classed as incomplete, and will not be eligible for a refund.

Oyster card pay as you go fares 

Customers must touch in and out at stations as usual and the fare for the journey will be taken. In at least 14 days of travel a refund for the journey will be processed. Once the refund has been processed, Oyster card customers will need to touch in on a yellow reader as part of a journey to ensure their refund is loaded onto their Oyster card. They will have up to 4 days to do this.

If a customer misses this 4-day window, they will need to contact customer services on 0343 222 1234 (call charges may apply) to request the refund.

If a customer doesn't touch in and out correctly for their journey, it will be classed as incomplete, and will not be eligible for a refund.

Residents on certain low-income benefits

Residents living in 12 east London boroughs or the City of London, and on certain benefits, could be eligible for a 50% discount on their tunnel crossing charges. The eligible benefits are:

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

Residents must live in Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, City of London, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, or Waltham Forest.

This discount will be available for a period of at least 3 years from when Silvertown tunnel opens, and will need to be renewed annually.

Register for the East London low income residents' discount from 27 January 2025.

Discount for small businesses and charities

Small businesses, sole traders and charities will be eligible for a £1 discount on the off-peak charge on a maximum of 3 vehicles, for at least 12 months from when Silvertown tunnel opens. The off-peak charge is only available for vehicles registered with TfL on Auto Pay.

The business, charity, or sole trader must be registered and operate from an address within one the boroughs of: Greenwich, Newham, or Tower Hamlets.

Register for the Tunnels business discount from 27 January 2025.

Other driving discounts and exemptions

There will also be a 100% discount for Blue Badge holders, vehicles with 9+ seats and recovery and breakdown vehicles registered with TfL.

Emergency service vehicles, NHS vehicles and disabled taxation class vehicles are also exempt from the tunnels charge.

Taxis licensed by TfL will be exempt from charges. Zero-emission capable and wheelchair accessible private hire vehicles licensed by TfL will not be charged when carrying out a booking.

For a full list of exempt vehicles or to apply for a discount, see discounts and exemptions.

NHS Reimbursements

NHS staff and patients may be eligible to claim back certain charges through the NHS reimbursement scheme.