Work has started to appoint a contractor to deliver a £263 million transport scheme in London.

Transport for London (TfL) is seeking a firm to build the Barking Riverside extension, a rail link project to serve the 11,000-home east London development site.

Construction is to begin in late 2017 with train services scheduled to begin in 2021.

The scheme involves delivering a 4.5km extension of the Gospel Oak to Barking line which will deliver London Overground services to a new station in the Barking Riverside community.

TfL has now submitted a notice with the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) seeking expressions of interest from contractors to build the rail project. A formal Invitation to Tender is to be issued in 2017 following the completion of design work.

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Project developers Barking Riverside Limited, a joint venture between the Greater London Authority and London & Quadrant, are providing £172m towards the overall development cost. TfL is to provide the remaining funding.

The project is also part-funded by TfL's £360m growth fund, which is creating more than 50,000 homes and 30,000 jobs by supporting 14 transport projects across London.

Mike Stubbs, TfL's London Overground Director, said: "This vital new railway will open up the Barking Riverside area, supporting up to 10,800 new homes, along with new jobs and improved facilities for the local community.

"The London Overground network has helped regenerate other parts of London by providing a frequent, reliable and high standard rail services, and this rail extension will help Barking riverside to grow and develop."

(LM/JP)