Two small sections of the DLR are now free to ride for at least a year.
Though the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel on 7 April 2025 means new fares for motorists, those using public transport have the boon of free travel until at least April 2026 on buses passing through the tunnel (the 108, 129, and SL4) as well as free trips on the cycle shuttle.
There's also a benefit for those using the DLR. Journeys between Greenwich or Cutty Sark and Island Gardens, and between Woolwich Arsenal and King George V are now also free for the next year. You'll need to tap in and out as usual but the fare will be refunded.
Why all the free journeys? It's part of the Mayor of London's drive to encourage people to ditch their motors (an anti-drive drive, if you will), and use public transport instead. A recent report found that ULEZ has dramatically improved London's air quality, but there are well-founded fears that the Silvertown Tunnel — a concept born under former Mayor Boris Johnson, but long overseen by Khan — will undo some of this good work, by bringing more pollution to the area.
While these are admittedly two tiny portions of the DLR line — and in practical terms would only massively benefit those wanting to literally get from one side of the river to the other — it's a sweet little loophole that some might want to take advantage of. Let's say you're in Greenwich with young kids during half term; you can now let them board the DLR at Cutty Sark/Greenwich, and 'drive' it to Island Gardens and back, without paying a penny. Between Woolwich and North Woolwich, meanwhile, you can now race across the river with friends — one taking the free Woolwich Foot Tunnel, one a fully refunded DLR trip, another the free Woolwich Ferry. The best things in life really are free.
Something to be aware of: as of Saturday 31 May, Cutty Sark DLR station is closing for the best part of a year. That's why TfL has also included Greenwich, the next station along, in its fare-free zone.
