Silvertown & Blackwall Tunnel Charges 2026: Explained

silvertown and blackwall tunnel charges explained fixed-price taxi booking with Rushxo

Crossing under the Thames via the Silvertown or Blackwall Tunnel and wondering about the charges? These East London river crossings now carry tolls, and knowing how they work helps you understand your journey costs. This guide explains the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnel charges, and how a fixed-price transfer handles them so you don't have to.

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The Tunnels & Their Charges

The Blackwall Tunnel is a long-established, busy route under the Thames in East London, connecting Greenwich and the south with the Blackwall area and the north. The newer Silvertown Tunnel opened alongside it to ease congestion, running nearby. Both tunnels now carry a user charge (toll) to cross, which varies by time of day and vehicle, designed to manage traffic. For drivers, this is an added cost and a payment to arrange; with a pre-booked transfer, it's simply handled within your fixed fare.

⚠️ Charges and times can change: The tunnel charges, their hours and amounts can change, and vary by time of day and vehicle. If driving yourself, always check the current TfL details and pay as required to avoid penalties. With a pre-booked transfer, the charge is handled for you.

How a Transfer Handles the Charges

Included in Your Fare

Any applicable tunnel charge is handled within your fixed price — no separate payment.

No Admin

No working out the toll, paying online, or risking a penalty — we handle it.

Best Route

Your driver chooses the sensible crossing for your journey.

Fixed Price

You know the full cost upfront, tunnel charges and all.

Fixed Transfer Fares Across the River (One-Way)

FromSaloonExecutiveMPV8-Seater
South East ↔ North/East London£81£92£92£104
Greenwich ↔ the City£81£92£92£104
To London City Airport£81£92£92£104
Across London£81£92£92£104

Return Fares (save ~10%)

FromSaloonExecutiveMPV8-Seater
South East ↔ North/East London£146£166£166£187
Greenwich ↔ the City£146£166£166£187
To London City Airport£146£166£166£187
Across London£146£166£166£187

Any tunnel charge handled within your fixed fare. Saloon seats 4, MPV 6, 8-seaters for groups and luggage.

Why This Matters for Your Journey

If your journey crosses the Thames in East London — say between Greenwich or the south-east and the Blackwall, Docklands or north — you'll likely use one of these tunnels, and the charge applies. Driving yourself means arranging payment and factoring in the cost and any time-of-day variation. A fixed-price transfer removes all of that: your driver picks the sensible route, any charge is handled within the fare you agreed, and you simply travel door-to-door with no admin, no separate toll to pay, and no risk of a missed-payment penalty. It's the simplest way to make these crossings.

Understanding East London's River Crossings

Getting to grips with how East London's Thames crossings work helps you understand your journey and why a fixed-price transfer takes the complication away. The Thames presents a real barrier in East London, where road crossings are relatively few compared with the many bridges further west, making the tunnels here vital arteries. The Blackwall Tunnel has for decades been one of the most important and heavily used of these crossings, carrying traffic between the Greenwich Peninsula and the south on one side and the Blackwall area, the A12 and the north on the other — but its age, capacity limits and frequent congestion long made it a notorious bottleneck. The Silvertown Tunnel was constructed to address this, providing additional crossing capacity nearby and aiming to relieve the pressure on Blackwall. To manage demand across both crossings and encourage efficient use, a user charge now applies to travel through the tunnels, with the amount varying according to the time of day (higher during peak periods) and the type of vehicle, alongside the wider network of charges that applies to driving in London. For a driver, this means yet another cost to understand and a payment to arrange correctly to avoid penalties, on top of navigating the crossings and the traffic. This is precisely where a pre-booked fixed-price transfer proves its worth for journeys crossing the river in this part of London: your professional driver knows the crossings, the charges and the best route for the conditions, and any applicable tunnel charge is simply incorporated into the fixed fare you agreed at booking. There's no need for you to work out the toll, make a separate payment, or worry about a missed-payment fine — it's all handled. Understanding the role and charges of these East London tunnel crossings shows why letting a fixed-price transfer take care of the complexity makes for a far simpler journey.

Tunnel Charge FAQs

Q: Do the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels have charges?

A: Yes — both now carry a user charge that varies by time of day and vehicle; check current TfL details if driving yourself.

Q: Is the charge included in a transfer?

A: Yes — any applicable tunnel charge is handled within your fixed fare, with no separate payment from you.

Q: Which tunnel will we use?

A: Your driver picks the sensible crossing for your journey and the conditions.

Q: Will I know the full cost upfront?

A: Yes — the fixed fare includes any tunnel charge, so you know the total before you travel.

The Bottom Line

The Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnel charges are tolls for crossing under the Thames in East London, varying by time and vehicle. With a pre-booked fixed-price transfer, any charge is handled within your fare — no admin, no separate payment, just a door-to-door river crossing with the cost known upfront.

Crossing the Thames Tunnels? Book a Fixed-Price Transfer

Tunnel charges handled in your fare — no admin, cost known upfront.

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