A LONG-HOPED for DLR extension, bringing the line to Falconwood, would cost around £1bn, according to a new study.

The feasibility study, commissioned by Hyder for Greenwich Council, looks at an eight-station extension to the line.

Its route would run from Silvertown across the river by tunnel emerging on the Peninsula to meet the BTSA on the east side and then running along the centre of the A2 on an elevated structure.

It would cross Woolwich Road, run up to the Sun and the Sands, then on to Kidbrooke, Eltham Station and finally terminating at Falconwood.

The report highlights the complexity of running the line around the Woolwich Roadm, Westhorne Avenue and Eltham station.

Documents to be considered by the council cabinet next week say: “The problems at the Woolwich Road flyover and the Eltham tunnel look very difficult to resolve.

“At Woolwich Road this would require a very substantial, possibly complete, rebuild of the existing structure.”

It proposes short, shallow tunnels to deal with both Woolwich Road and Sun in the Sand.

The report goes on: “The construction cost of an elevated extension with the capital cost of providing trains would be in the region of £850m.

“These costs exclude, land, preliminaries and utilities works and also excludes the development of solutions to the problems at Woolwich Road and Eltham Station.

“Therefore the total cost of this option is likely to be more than £1bn.”

Overall, the report welcomes an extension, highlighting particular importance for the Kidbrooke regeneration project and saying it will have “extensive economic and regenerative benefits for the south of the borough”.

Last week, Eltham MP Clive Efford called for a DLR extension as part of any alternative to the Blackwall Tunnel.

He said: “In the long term I want the DLR at Eltham and to put my part of south east London on the map.”

At a meeting next week, cabinet members are set to agree for a further study assessing passenger demand and exploring the alternative route options.