UK road tolls
Silvertown Tunnel (Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels user charge)
Silvertown Tunnel (Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels user charge) in London (A102 Greenwich Peninsula to A1026 Lower Lea Crossing / A13, Newham) lists a car tariff of £1.55 per crossing with these conditions: Auto Pay off-peak; From 21 September 2026. Transport for London (TfL) publishes the position recorded here as of 7 September 2026; payment and exemption rules depend on the crossing.
Transport for London, Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels (as of 7 September 2026); Transport for London, Paying Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges (as of 7 September 2026); Transport for London, Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels (as of 7 September 2026); Transport for London, Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels (as of 7 September 2026)How much does the Silvertown Tunnel cost to drive through?
| Vehicle class | Price | Payment method or tariff | Conditions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buses, coaches and minibuses (DVLA body type bus, coach or minibus) | £0.00 GBP per crossing | Standard tariff | Exempt at all times, no registration needed. | Transport for London, Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Motorcycles, mopeds and motor tricycles | £1.55 GBP per crossing | Auto Pay off-peak | Auto Pay off-peak. From 21 September 2026. | Transport for London, Paying Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Motorcycles, mopeds and motor tricycles | £2.60 GBP per crossing | Auto Pay peak | Auto Pay peak, or any time without Auto Pay. From 21 September 2026. | Transport for London, Paying Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Cars and small vans | £1.55 GBP per crossing | Auto Pay off-peak | Auto Pay off-peak. From 21 September 2026. | Transport for London, Paying Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Cars and small vans | £4.20 GBP per crossing | Auto Pay peak | Auto Pay peak, or any time without Auto Pay. From 21 September 2026. | Transport for London, Paying Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Large vans | £2.60 GBP per crossing | Auto Pay off-peak | Auto Pay off-peak. From 21 September 2026. | Transport for London, Paying Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Large vans | £6.80 GBP per crossing | Auto Pay peak | Auto Pay peak, or any time without Auto Pay. From 21 September 2026. | Transport for London, Paying Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Heavy goods vehicles | £5.25 GBP per crossing | Auto Pay off-peak | Auto Pay off-peak. From 21 September 2026. | Transport for London, Paying Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges (as of 7 September 2026) |
| Heavy goods vehicles | £10.50 GBP per crossing | Auto Pay peak | Auto Pay peak, or any time without Auto Pay. From 21 September 2026. | Transport for London, Paying Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges (as of 7 September 2026) |
What changed in the Silvertown Tunnel prices on 21 September 2026?
TfL described it as a small inflation-based increase to keep the charges effective. When the tunnel opened, a car or small van on Auto Pay paid £1.50 off-peak and £4.00 at peak; it now pays £1.55 and £4.20, and the £4.20 also applies to anyone paying without Auto Pay. Motorcycles opened at £1.50 off-peak and £2.50 at peak, and now pay £1.55 and £2.60.
Peak means weekdays only, one direction at a time: northbound 06:00 to 10:00, southbound 16:00 to 19:00.
| Vehicle | Off-peak on Auto Pay | Peak, or without Auto Pay | Extra for peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle, moped or motor tricycle | £1.55 | £2.60 | £1.05 |
| Car or small van | £1.55 | £4.20 | £2.65 |
| Large van | £2.60 | £6.80 | £4.20 |
| Heavy goods vehicle over 3,500kg | £5.25 | £10.50 | £5.25 |
Prices from TfL's paying page, in force from 21 September 2026 and read 26 September 2026. The last column is our subtraction from those prices, not a figure TfL publishes.
Can a lorry use the Silvertown Tunnel, and what does it pay?
Yes, and the tunnel was laid out with lorries in mind. Each direction has two lanes, and one of them is a dedicated lane for buses and heavy goods vehicles. TfL treats anything with a maximum mass above 3,500kg as an HGV, from a 7.5 tonne box lorry in category N2 to an articulated truck in category N3, over 12,000kg.
For tall loads that matters: the older Blackwall bore heading north has a 4.0 metre limit in the nearside lane and a 2.8 metre limit in the offside lane. The charge is identical in either tunnel.
Example
A 7.5 tonne box lorry delivering from Charlton to the Royal Docks
- Vehicle
- Box lorry, 7,500kg maximum mass (category N2)
- Outbound
- Northbound through Silvertown at 08:30 on a Tuesday
- Return
- Southbound at 13:00 the same day
- Account
- Auto Pay
- 08:30 northbound on a weekday falls in the morning peak, so the HGV price is £10.50.
- 13:00 southbound is outside the 16:00 to 19:00 southbound peak, so on Auto Pay the return costs £5.25.
- Without Auto Pay the return would be charged £10.50 as well, because every crossing paid that way costs the peak price.
- From TfL's tariff: £10.50 + £5.25 = £15.75 on Auto Pay, or £21.00 paying crossing by crossing.
£15.75 for the run on Auto Pay. Leaving the depot after 10:00 would make both legs off-peak, £10.50 for the day.
How do you pay the Silvertown Tunnel charge?
- Pay in advance, on the day, or by midnight on the third day after the crossing. Auto Pay is billed automatically each month.
- Auto Pay (card or Direct Debit, up to five vehicles, only way to get off-peak rates), TfL website, TfL Pay to drive in London app, phone 0343 222 2222 (+44 343 222 2222 international, textphone 020 7649 9123). Camera enforced, no booths.
Which way of paying for the Silvertown Tunnel costs least?
Only TfL Auto Pay gets you the off-peak price. It is free to join, takes up to five vehicles, bills monthly by Direct Debit or card, and shields a registered vehicle from penalty notices for non-payment. Firms with six or more vehicles use Fleet Auto Pay, which has no registration fee either.
The website, the TfL Pay to drive in London app and the phone line suit occasional crossings, but all charge the peak price every time.
| Route | Off-peak hours | Peak hours | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Pay | £1.55 | £4.20 | Billed monthly |
| TfL website | £4.20 | £4.20 | Midnight on the third day after the crossing |
| TfL Pay to drive in London app | £4.20 | £4.20 | Midnight on the third day after the crossing |
| Phone, 0343 222 2222 | £4.20 | £4.20 | Midnight on the third day after the crossing |
From TfL's paying page and its Auto Pay page, read 26 September 2026. Calls from abroad go to +44 343 222 2222; the textphone is 020 7649 9123.
Example
A Beckton family driving to a Saturday concert at the O2
- Vehicle
- Family car, charged at the car and small van rate
- Outbound
- Southbound through Silvertown at 17:30, Saturday
- Home
- Northbound at 23:10
- Saturday is off-peak all day, so the outbound crossing is £1.55 on Auto Pay and £4.20 paid online or in the app.
- The return at 23:10 is after 22:00, when no charge applies at all.
- Paid one-off, the £4.20 must be settled by midnight on Tuesday, the third day after the concert.
£1.55 for the night out on Auto Pay, or £4.20 paying online. The late drive home costs nothing either way.
What is the Silvertown Tunnel penalty charge?
PCN £180 if the correct charge is not paid by midnight on the third day after travel; £90 if paid within 14 days; rises to £270 if not paid or challenged within 28 days. Maximum one PCN per day per TfL's November 2024 press release.
How do I challenge a Silvertown Tunnel PCN?
Online or in writing, within 28 days of the date the notice was served. TfL puts the PCN on hold while it looks at your case. Letters go to Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels Charging, PO Box 653, Darlington DL1 9JA, signed and dated, naming your ground and enclosing the evidence. A late challenge is only considered if you can show what delayed you, such as illness or being away.
TfL lists six statutory grounds, but you can also explain mitigating circumstances if none of them fits.
- You were not the keeper at the time: you had sold the vehicle before the crossing, or bought it afterwards.
- The charge was paid on time and in the right way: send the payment reference.
- No penalty was payable: the vehicle was exempt or discounted, or an incident, event or road works diverted you into the tunnel. Getting lost or dodging traffic does not count.
- The vehicle was taken without your consent, for example stolen.
- The penalty is higher than the regulations allow, or it has already been paid.
- The vehicle was on hire and the hire firm has passed liability to the hirer with a signed statement.
- TfL replies asking for more evidence, accepting the challenge, or with a notice of rejection.
- After a rejection you have 28 days to appeal to the Road User Charging Adjudicators, supported by London Tribunals, at a personal or postal hearing. They rule on the law, not on mitigating circumstances.
- If the PCN, or a reply to your challenge or appeal, never reached you, a statutory declaration is possible within 21 days of an order for recovery. The Traffic Enforcement Centre helpdesk is on 0300 123 1059.
What catches drivers out at the Silvertown Tunnel?
Any of these slips can turn a £1.55 crossing into a £180 penalty.
- Believing the new tunnel is free and only Blackwall charges: both have been charged since Silvertown opened on 7 April 2025.
- Forgetting the way back: a trip to the Greenwich Peninsula and home again is two crossings.
- Paying for the wrong vehicle or day: TfL says a payment against an incorrect number plate or travel date can still produce a PCN.
- Riding through on a motorbike as if this were the Congestion Charge zone: motorcycles pay £1.55 off-peak on Auto Pay and £2.60 otherwise.
Is there a Silvertown Tunnel discount for locals or small firms?
- Auto Pay off-peak rate (£1.50 car until 20 September 2026, £1.55 from 21 September 2026) instead of the peak rate charged to everyone not on Auto Pay.
- East London low-income residents: 50% discount for residents of qualifying boroughs claiming eligible benefits (available until at least April 2028 per TfL).
- Business discount: £1 off per off-peak crossing for small businesses and charities in Greenwich, Newham and Tower Hamlets, up to 3 vehicles.
- Blue Badge holders: 100% discount, £10 to register.
- 9+ seat vehicles: 100% discount, £10 a year.
- Accredited breakdown vehicles: 100% discount, £10 per vehicle.
- Bus journeys on the Silvertown cross-river routes were free on pay as you go until 26 May 2026; a free cycle shuttle runs between North Greenwich and Royal Docks.
How does the Silvertown business discount work?
It is meant for firms on the tunnel's doorstep. Eligible small businesses, sole traders and charities registered and operating in Greenwich, Newham or Tower Hamlets can register up to three vehicles for £1 off every off-peak crossing. The vehicles must be on Auto Pay. A small business must have fewer than 50 employees, turnover up to £10.2m or a balance sheet up to £5.1m, and an active Companies House registration or VAT registration in one of the three boroughs. A charity must operate there and be registered with the Charity Commission, although exempt or excepted charities can request a paper application.
The £1 comes off off-peak crossings only, so it pays best for vans that stay out of the weekday rush. Apply before using the tunnels and allow at least 10 days for TfL to process the application. Eligible residents on low incomes have their own 50% discount, which TfL says will last until at least April 2028.
Example
A Canning Town florist's small van making ten midday crossings a week
- Vehicle
- Small van, category N1 class I
- Crossings
- 10 a week, all weekdays between 11:00 and 14:00
- Business
- Sole trader in Newham, van on Auto Pay
- Weekday middays are off-peak in both directions, so each crossing costs £1.55 on Auto Pay.
- The business discount takes £1 off each one, leaving 55p.
- 10 x £1.55 = £15.50 a week without the discount, and 10 x £0.55 = £5.50 with it.
- Paid one-off instead, the same ten crossings would cost 10 x £4.20 = £42.00.
£5.50 a week with Auto Pay and the business discount, against £42.00 paying crossing by crossing, both calculated from TfL's prices.
Which vehicles use the Silvertown Tunnel without paying?
- No charge 22:00 to 06:00 and no charge on Christmas Day.
- TfL-licensed taxis.
- Wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles on a private hire booking.
- Vehicles registered with the DVLA as body type minibus, bus or coach.
- Ambulances and fire engines (taxation class), NHS vehicles exempt from vehicle tax, disabled taxation class vehicles, HM Coastguard, port authorities, armed forces and Royal Parks vehicles.
How do cyclists and bus passengers get through the Silvertown Tunnel?
Not under their own steam: TfL does not allow walking or cycling through either tunnel. Cyclists take a free shuttle bus through Silvertown instead, running every 12 minutes from 06:30 to 21:30 every day except Christmas Day, between Seagull Lane near Royal Victoria DLR station and Millennium Way near Old School Close on the Greenwich side. It carries around 100 to 130 cyclists on an average weekday.
Each shuttle has two bays of up to four standard cycles. Cargo bikes, tricycles, adaptive cycles and e-bikes are carried if no more than 2.14 metres long, 0.76 metres wide and 1.4 metres high at the handlebar, and no more than 300kg including rider and property. Someone without a bike may accompany a child cyclist or an adult cyclist who needs support; other pedestrians are not carried.
Buses pay nothing: any vehicle the DVLA records as a bus, coach or minibus is exempt. Routes SL4, 129 and 108 use the tunnels, and TfL runs 21 buses an hour in each direction across both tunnels between 07:00 and 19:00 on weekdays. Pay as you go journeys on the Silvertown bus network were free until 26 May 2026, and that offer has ended.
When did the Silvertown Tunnel open, and why was it built?
Silvertown Tunnel opened to traffic on 7 April 2025 and was charged from day one, alongside the previously free Blackwall Tunnel, to manage demand and repay construction costs. First price change is the inflation-based increase on 21 September 2026 (car Auto Pay off-peak £1.50 to £1.55, peak £4.00 to £4.20, HGV peak £10.00 to £10.50).
Who built the Silvertown Tunnel, and what does the charge pay for?
The tunnel was first proposed in 2012 and authorised by the Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018. Construction began in 2021 on the 1.4km twin-bore tunnel between Silvertown and the Greenwich Peninsula, and the boring machine that dug it was named Jill, after London's first female bus driver. It opened on 7 April 2025.
It was delivered by Riverlinx, and TfL describes the funding as mainly private finance. TfL says more than 1,860,000 tonnes of material travelled by river during the works, taking about 125,000 HGV trips off local roads.
Article 57 of the Order sets out where the charge can go: the costs of planning, building, operating and maintaining Silvertown and financing it, the running and upkeep of Blackwall, maintenance reserves for either tunnel, and TfL's general fund.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2012 | A new road tunnel at Silvertown is first proposed |
| 2018 | The Silvertown Tunnel Order authorises the tunnel and its user charge |
| 2021 | Construction starts |
| 7 April 2025 | The tunnel opens; charging starts at Silvertown and Blackwall |
| 26 May 2026 | Free pay as you go journeys on the Silvertown bus network end |
| 21 September 2026 | A small inflation-based rise in the charges |
TfL's January 2025 press release, its Silvertown Tunnel page and legislation.gov.uk, read 26 September 2026.
Has the Silvertown Tunnel cut pollution and put more people on buses?
TfL's figures for the first year say yes on both counts. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations fell by 17% on average compared with the year before opening, and the highest reading was 26.3 µg/m3, well under the annual limit of 40 µg/m3.
More than 30,000 people use the Silvertown bus routes on an average day. TfL estimates that around a third of those journeys cross the river through the two tunnels, up 290% on the year before, which means 11% of cross-river trips through the tunnels are now made by public transport.
Where does the Silvertown Tunnel come out, and what are the other ways across?
On the south side it starts from the east side of the Greenwich Peninsula; on the north it meets the A1026 Lower Lea Crossing and the A13. Blackwall, the other half of the same charging scheme, carries the A102 from the west side of the peninsula to the A12 at Poplar.
There is no free road crossing close by for a lorry. Upstream, the Rotherhithe Tunnel bars goods vehicles over 2 tonnes and anything over 2 metres high or wide, and Tower Bridge has an 18 tonne limit. Downstream, the free Woolwich Ferry takes lorries up to 4.7 metres high and 3.5 metres wide but refuses anything showing Hazchem signs, and the Dartford Crossing charges a two-axle van or goods vehicle £4.20 a crossing between 6am and 10pm.
Common questions
- Is the Silvertown Tunnel free after 10pm?
- Yes. The charge runs from 06:00 to 22:00, so any crossing between 22:00 and 06:00 is free and needs no payment or account. Christmas Day is free all day, but the rest of the bank holidays are charged during the usual hours. That makes a late return from an evening on the Greenwich Peninsula, or an early start before 06:00, free whichever direction you travel, with or without Auto Pay.
- Is the Silvertown Tunnel cheaper than the Blackwall Tunnel?
- No. The two tunnels share one charging scheme, with the same prices, peak times, discounts and penalties, so a car pays £1.55 off-peak on Auto Pay or £4.20 at peak in either. TfL charged both from the day Silvertown opened so that traffic would not pile into a free tunnel. Pick by destination: Silvertown for the A1026 and the A13, Blackwall for Poplar and the A12.
- Who decides how much the Silvertown Tunnel costs?
- TfL sets the charges under the Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018, which lets it charge from the day the tunnel opened and vary prices by vehicle class, time of day and day of the week. New prices must appear in a statement of charges at least 56 days before they apply. Changing the wider charging policy requires TfL to consult regular users and the Silvertown Tunnel Implementation Group, and the Mayor of London approves the result.
- Does an electric van pay the Silvertown Tunnel charge?
- Yes, in full. TfL's Cleaner Vehicle Discount, which from 2 January 2026 gives electric vans and HGVs 50% off, applies to the Congestion Charge and not to the tunnels. So an electric large van pays £2.60 off-peak on Auto Pay and £6.80 at peak or without Auto Pay, exactly like a diesel one. The van's category, not its fuel, sets the price, and a light electric van in N1 class I pays the car rate of £1.55 or £4.20.
- How many Silvertown Tunnel PCNs can I get in one day?
- One. When it set out the scheme in November 2024, TfL said only one PCN would be issued per day however many trips went unpaid. That notice is £180, cut to £90 if paid within 14 days, and it climbs to £270 once a charge certificate is issued. Several unpaid days mean several notices, so settle any crossing still inside its three-day window straight away.
- Can a Blue Badge holder use the Silvertown Tunnel free?
- Yes, once the badge is registered with TfL. Any valid Blue Badge from the European Economic Area qualifies for a 100% discount, costs £10 to register and can cover up to two vehicles. TfL's challenge guidance says the exact number plate used that day must have been nominated on the Blue Badge account, so add any new car before it crosses. Renewal lines up with the badge's expiry. Vehicles in the disabled tax class need no registration, because TfL recognises them automatically.
Sources
- Transport for London, Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels (as of 7 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Paying Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges (as of 7 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels (as of 7 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels (as of 7 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Silvertown Tunnel (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels: where and when (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Vehicle classifications for the tunnels charge (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Discounts and exemptions: Congestion Charge and tunnels (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Challenge a Penalty Charge Notice (tunnels) (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, FOI-4141-2526: Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel fines (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Auto Pay (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Fleet Auto Pay (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Silvertown Tunnel (project and monitoring) (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Silvertown Tunnel planned to open on 7 April 2025 (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Silvertown Tunnel cycle shuttle details (March 2025) (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Silvertown Tunnel cycle shuttle (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Programmes and Investment Committee public reports, July 2025 (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Consultation on the tunnels user charge (July 2024) (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Tunnels charges and discounts package (November 2024) (as of 26 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018, article 53 (as of 26 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018, article 54 (as of 26 September 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018, article 57 (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, FOI-0261-2122: Rotherhithe Tunnel restrictions (as of 26 September 2026)
- City of London Corporation, Weight limits on City of London streets (as of 26 September 2026)
- Transport for London, Woolwich Ferry (as of 26 September 2026)
- GOV.UK, Pay the Dartford Crossing charge: charges (as of 26 September 2026)