Londoners will face new user charges for the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels from today, 7 April 2025, Transport for London has confirmed.
The 1.4km Silvertown Tunnel, first announced in 2012, will link Newham to the Greenwich Peninsula, with charges applying between 6am and 10pm, seven days a week.
Both tunnels need to be charged to ensure traffic levels do not increase as a result of drivers seeking to use an uncharged crossing.
The user charges will help manage traffic levels, repay construction costs, and cover ongoing maintenance at both tunnels. Without these charges, the area would likely experience high levels of congestion and poorer air quality.
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The standard off-peak rate will be £1.50 for vehicles registered for TfL Auto Pay, applying for most of the day. During peak hours, charges will increase by varying amounts depending on vehicle type.
Motorcycles will pay an additional £1, while cars and small vans face an extra £2.50, while larger vehicles will pay more, with large vans charged an additional £4 and HGVs an extra £5 during busy periods.
Peak charges will apply northbound from 06:00 to 10:00 and southbound from 16:00 to 19:00, Monday to Friday. The higher rate will also apply to anyone not using TfL Auto Pay, regardless of the time of travel.
Only one Penalty Charge Notice of £180 will be issued per day for non-payment, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the scheme, saying: "From April 7, 2025, the tunnel that connects Silvertown to the Greenwich Peninsula will provide Londoners with faster and more reliable journeys and enhanced public transport links.
A wide range of concessions and discounts will be available to help residents and businesses adapt to the new charges.
Low-income residents in 12 east and southeast London boroughs and the City of London will be eligible for a 50 per cent discount and applies to people receiving benefits such as Universal Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit and several other support payments.
Small businesses, sole traders and charities registered in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Greenwich will receive a £1 discount on the standard off-peak charge. This business discount will be available for at least one year after the charges are introduced.
Several vehicle categories will be exempt from the tunnel charges entirely, with all buses, coaches and vehicles with nine or more seats registered with the DVLA won't need to pay.
Taxis, blue badge holders, and wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles registered with TfL will also be exempt.
Any "zero emission capable" private hire vehicles licensed by TfL, which currently make up at least 40 per cent of the 93,000-strong fleet, won't face charges, while vehicles registered under the Accredited Breakdown/Recovery vehicle discount scheme will also be exempt.
NHS staff and eligible patients will have their tunnel charges reimbursed through the NHS reimbursement scheme.
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Stuart Harvey, Chief Capital Officer at Transport for London, said: "The new tunnel, along with the initial user charges, discounts and exemptions, will support growth in the local area and provide new public transport connections across the river.
"These measures will also help manage traffic demand as well as the environmental impacts, and ensure the new tunnel delivers on its objectives of reducing traffic congestion and providing resilience at the Blackwall Tunnel, while ensuring we support local residents on low income, small businesses, sole traders and local charities."
Bus journeys on three cross-river routes serving Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich will be free for at least one year, while cross-river journeys on the DLR from Cutty Sark to Island Gardens, and from Woolwich Arsenal to King George V will also be free.
A new cycle-shuttle service will also allow people with bicycles to safely cross the river via a high-frequency bus service around Silvertown and North Greenwich.
Find Out More...
The 1.4km Silvertown Tunnel, first announced in 2012, will link Newham to the Greenwich Peninsula, with charges applying between 6am and 10pm, seven days a week.
Both tunnels need to be charged to ensure traffic levels do not increase as a result of drivers seeking to use an uncharged crossing.
The user charges will help manage traffic levels, repay construction costs, and cover ongoing maintenance at both tunnels. Without these charges, the area would likely experience high levels of congestion and poorer air quality.
Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
The standard off-peak rate will be £1.50 for vehicles registered for TfL Auto Pay, applying for most of the day. During peak hours, charges will increase by varying amounts depending on vehicle type.
Motorcycles will pay an additional £1, while cars and small vans face an extra £2.50, while larger vehicles will pay more, with large vans charged an additional £4 and HGVs an extra £5 during busy periods.
Peak charges will apply northbound from 06:00 to 10:00 and southbound from 16:00 to 19:00, Monday to Friday. The higher rate will also apply to anyone not using TfL Auto Pay, regardless of the time of travel.
Only one Penalty Charge Notice of £180 will be issued per day for non-payment, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the scheme, saying: "From April 7, 2025, the tunnel that connects Silvertown to the Greenwich Peninsula will provide Londoners with faster and more reliable journeys and enhanced public transport links.
A wide range of concessions and discounts will be available to help residents and businesses adapt to the new charges.
Low-income residents in 12 east and southeast London boroughs and the City of London will be eligible for a 50 per cent discount and applies to people receiving benefits such as Universal Credit, Income Support, Pension Credit and several other support payments.
Small businesses, sole traders and charities registered in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Greenwich will receive a £1 discount on the standard off-peak charge. This business discount will be available for at least one year after the charges are introduced.
Several vehicle categories will be exempt from the tunnel charges entirely, with all buses, coaches and vehicles with nine or more seats registered with the DVLA won't need to pay.
Taxis, blue badge holders, and wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles registered with TfL will also be exempt.
Any "zero emission capable" private hire vehicles licensed by TfL, which currently make up at least 40 per cent of the 93,000-strong fleet, won't face charges, while vehicles registered under the Accredited Breakdown/Recovery vehicle discount scheme will also be exempt.
NHS staff and eligible patients will have their tunnel charges reimbursed through the NHS reimbursement scheme.
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Stuart Harvey, Chief Capital Officer at Transport for London, said: "The new tunnel, along with the initial user charges, discounts and exemptions, will support growth in the local area and provide new public transport connections across the river.
"These measures will also help manage traffic demand as well as the environmental impacts, and ensure the new tunnel delivers on its objectives of reducing traffic congestion and providing resilience at the Blackwall Tunnel, while ensuring we support local residents on low income, small businesses, sole traders and local charities."
Bus journeys on three cross-river routes serving Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich will be free for at least one year, while cross-river journeys on the DLR from Cutty Sark to Island Gardens, and from Woolwich Arsenal to King George V will also be free.
A new cycle-shuttle service will also allow people with bicycles to safely cross the river via a high-frequency bus service around Silvertown and North Greenwich.
Find Out More...