Consultation into UK’s first cable car

Cable car would cut travel time between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks to five minutes.

A consultation is to start on the UK’s first and only urban cable car.

The cable car, which is likely to cost £25 million in construction, would cross the river at a height of over 50 metres.

The proposals being developed by Transport for London (TfL) would provide a privately-funded, fully accessible cable car for pedestrians and cyclists.

The scheme is being proposed in response to the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson's desire to increase the number of river crossings east of Tower Bridge and see East London and the London Docks hosting new tourist attractions, new businesses and homes and creating job opportunities.

It could open ahead of the 2012 Games, subject to securing funding and planning permission.

The Mayor has asked TfL in collaboration with the London Development Agency to run a public consultation on the proposal to understand local views on the idea.

The frequent and regular cable car would cut journey times to around five minutes between the Greenwich Peninsula and Royal Docks, therefore linking the O2 with ExCeL and have cable cars carry up to 2,500 passengers per hour in each direction across the river.

Also, increase transport network capacity, which could be fully accessible and designed so it can be used by those with reduced mobility and provide people in North Greenwich with additional access to the Docklands Light Railway and in the future Crossrail at Custom House.

Lastly, allow the river to be crossed with no impact on air quality, attract new visitors and create new access to employment, leisure and enterprise opportunities on both sides of the river.

Peter Hendy, TfL's Transport Commissioner said: "A privately funded cable car system offers a relatively quick and cost effective way of improving connections across the river for pedestrians and cyclists while road links are progressed in parallel."

Further information:
Transport for London