TfL draft Business Plan maps out London rail upgrades to 2030

Transport for London’s TfL draft Business Plan sets out how the organisation plans to invest in the capital’s transport network through 2029/30, with rail expansion and renewals forming a major part of the programme (see a TfL Board paper on the draft 2026 Business Plan update). Published on 28 January 2026, the plan ties rail modernisation to wider aims around housing delivery, economic growth and decarbonisation.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

In practical terms, TfL groups a range of fleet and infrastructure work into one pipeline. It covers the DLR extension to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead, plans for a new Bakerloo line fleet, new Piccadilly line trains, extra capacity through Elizabeth line additional trains, a Central line fleet refurbishment, and the replacement of the ageing Tramlink vehicles.

TfL draft Business Plan places the DLR extension at the centre

The headline expansion scheme is the DLR extension to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead, which has recently received Government backing. TfL says the project would strengthen high-capacity links to parts of east and south-east London that are currently underserved by rail, while helping unlock significant housing and employment opportunities—points also set out on a TfL page on a potential DLR extension and in a TfL press release on the DLR extension.

London’s Transport Commissioner, Andy Lord, said the plan is designed to build on progress already made and to set out TfL’s longer-term direction for the network. He also highlighted sustained investment in renewing core assets—stations, lifts and escalators, track, roads, bridges and other infrastructure—alongside measures aimed at improving the day-to-day experience for passengers.

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Lord added that the programme reflects customer priorities for services that are safe, accessible, frequent, reliable, green and as affordable as possible. The draft also points to reliability and safety measures across TfL services, including reducing delays on the bus and road network and continuing work to improve safety for everyone using the system.

Fleet plans: new Bakerloo line fleet, Piccadilly and Elizabeth line additional trains

Rolling stock investment runs through the TfL draft Business Plan. TfL says preparations are progressing for a new Bakerloo line fleet, responding to the challenges of operating trains that are among the oldest on the Underground. Funding and delivery timescales remain subject to further approvals, but the plan presents the Bakerloo fleet as a step toward future capacity and reliability improvements, and potentially as a precursor to the long-discussed Bakerloo line extension to south-east London.

The draft restates commitments to introduce new Piccadilly line trains and new fleets on the DLR. It also includes plans to provide Elizabeth line additional trains, complete a full Central line fleet refurbishment, and replace the ageing tram fleet to maintain reliability and accessibility on the Tramlink network in south London.

Signalling, renewals and step-free access works

Alongside the fleet programmes, TfL continues to put weight on signalling and broader asset renewals. The plan includes completing new signalling on the District and Metropolitan lines, with TfL linking the upgrades to improved reliability and journey times. It also sets this within a wider renewal programme covering track, stations, depots and power systems.

Accessibility is another consistent theme. TfL plans to complete step-free access works (Northolt and Leyton) and continue major station upgrades, including further progress at Elephant & Castle. Subject to funding, work could also begin to transform South Kensington station, described as one of the most complex and heavily used interchange stations on the Underground—supporting the Mayor’s target for 50 percent of Tube stations to be step-free.

Beyond the schemes already committed, the draft repeats TfL’s support for longer-term rail proposals that are not yet fully funded. These include the Bakerloo line extension, the transfer of Great Northern services from Moorgate to Stevenage and Hertford North to London Overground, and the proposed West London Orbital route between Hounslow and Hendon via Old Oak Common. TfL argues these projects are important for meeting future demand and supporting growth in Opportunity Areas.

Rail investment sits within a broader transport approach that also covers buses, roads, walking and cycling. TfL says sustained funding across all modes is needed to deliver an integrated network that is greener, more reliable and more accessible.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the plan sets out sustained investment to keep improving transport across the city, with a focus on making it safer, greener and fairer for everyone. He also pointed to proposals to transform Oxford Street into a pedestrian-friendly retail and leisure destination, and linked the DLR extension to Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead to delivering new affordable housing and jobs following Government backing in the Autumn Budget. Khan added that TfL would continue modernising the Tube, cutting congestion and bus journey times, improving safety and accessibility across the network, investing in high-quality walking and cycling infrastructure, and eliminating death and serious injury from London’s roads.

The TfL draft Business Plan will be considered by the TfL Board on 4 February 2026. TfL notes that the final shape of the plan—and the pace at which major rail projects can be delivered—will depend heavily on long-term funding settlements with Government, but the message remains the same: rail is at the core of TfL’s vision for London’s transport future.

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