Whilst rail and bus links already exist, journey times both within the area and to central London and other parts of Kent can be slow and unreliable. The opening of the Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) will provide fast, frequent services direct to Canary Wharf, central London and Heathrow, but will terminate at Abbey Wood.
Improvements to the transport network east of Abbey Wood would make the most of the new Elizabeth Line services, would support new homes being built and would improve access to jobs, services, major transport hubs and leisure opportunities across the area and beyond.
Local authorities in the area have long sought to improve public transport to improve the quality of life for existing residents. Despite the current pandemic, we still need to plan ahead to make sure our local area is well placed to lead a future economic recovery. Even if our working habits change, high quality public transport links will remain important to our daily lives.
We have recently asked for your views about potential options with this vital feedback helping us shape our study. We will be undertaking another public consultation later this year.
We have recently completed an assessment of potential options for improving transport services in this area, which included consideration of:
- potential extensions to the Elizabeth Line between Abbey Wood, Dartford and Northfleet;
- other improvements to the existing rail network; and
- a ‘bus rapid-transit' (BRT) linking Abbey Wood with the existing Fastrack BRT service from Dartford to Ebbsfleet and Gravesham.
Please check back with this site to get updates and details about the next round of public consultation.
The C2E Partnership was formed in 2016 as an informal group of authorities to promote an extension of the Elizabeth Line beyond its current planned terminus at Abbey Wood towards Ebbsfleet. It is comprised of stakeholders that represent local communities in the area including:
- London Borough of Bexley;
- Dartford Borough Council;
- Gravesham Borough Council;
- Ebbsfleet Development Corporation;
- Kent County Council;
- The Greater London Authority; and
- Thames Gateway Kent Partnership
The Partnership also works closely with public transport infrastructure providers, particularly Network Rail and Transport for London. In 2019, Government allocated funding for a major study to assess and develop a range of different transport options (including both Elizabeth Line extensions and lower cost options) in order to support new housing and employment growth along the corridor. The C2E Partnership is responsible for the delivery of this study. Further details on this are set out below.
Why are improvements to public transport needed between Abbey Wood and Ebbsfleet?
The London Borough of Bexley, and the boroughs of Dartford and Gravesham, supported by Kent County Council and the Greater London Authority, have plans to support more jobs, make their town centres more attractive and build more high-quality homes for their communities.
Improvements to the transport network in these boroughs aim to support these plans by:
- Making it much easier to travel by public transport to key locations along the route, including Ebbsfleet International, Dartford town centre, health and education facilities and many key employment locations within the area
- Improving journey times and connections into central London, Canary Wharf and Heathrow Airport and within the local area
- Attracting more investment and supporting plans for the development of new homes, jobs and leisure facilities, including new town centres at Belvedere and Ebbsfleet
- Supporting and enhancing the quality of existing town centres in the area including Erith and Dartford
- Reducing reliance on the car, thereby reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and health
Collecting your views
We recently asked for feedback to understand your views on whether improvements to public transport between Abbey Wood and Ebbsfleet are required, and your views on the options we are considering.
This consultation closed on the 3rd March and we are now analysing and considering all the feedback received. We will publish the consultation report on this website once completed.
The feedback we received will enable us to focus on a smaller number of options for further development. We will launch a further round of consultation on these options in the summer of 2021, once more work has been completed on their feasibility, costs and benefits.
For more information about the study, or to reach out to the study team, please email hello@abbeywood2ebbsfleet.com
