The new Barking Riverside station is due to open to the public ahead of schedule on 18 July.
Services were originally expected to begin in the autumn.
Delivered by a Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and VolkerFitzpatrick (MSVF) joint venture on behalf of TfL, this Gospel Oak route extension will extend the London overground network by 4.5 kilometres and bring its station total to over 60.
The route will operate four trains per hour and reduce journey times from Barking town centre to the new Barking Riverside development by 18 minutes.
The station will provide passengers with connections to the District and Hammersmith & City lines into central London in addition to C2C trains at Barking.
Passengers will also be able to easily change to the Elizabeth line at Forest Gate, as well as river bus services from Barking Riverside pier.
“The early launch of this overground service is due to the brilliant partnership we’ve had with TfL and the contractor Morgan Sindall Infrastructure VolkerFitzpatrick.
“We worked through covid and so the opening is the signal to help reconnect residents and visitors of this area to London.
“Following the successful launch of the new River Bus service, this vital piece of infrastructure will be a major component in the range of transport options for commuters and leisure visitors alike, making Barking Riverside an exciting destination for Londoners, as well as a well-connected home for our community.”
Essential engineering work between Gospel Oak and Barking Riverside mean that Network Rail will be closing this section just a few days after it begins passenger services.
Services will be stopped on 23 and 24 July, before resuming as usual.
