Blackwall Tunnel and Silvertown Tunnel charges rise from Monday 21 September 2026. A car or small van registered for TfL Auto Pay will pay £1.55 off-peak or £4.20 during peak hours for each crossing. The same prices apply at both tunnels. Drivers who do not use Auto Pay pay the full peak rate at all chargeable times, so a car paid manually will cost £4.20 per crossing even at weekends or during an otherwise off-peak period.
Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel charges applying from 21 September 2026. Image: London Construction Magazine.
Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel charges from 21 September 2026
Transport for London's published tariff from 21 September 2026 sets four vehicle categories. The cheaper off-peak prices are available through TfL Auto Pay; payments made through other channels use the peak-rate tariff throughout the charging day.
| Vehicle | Auto Pay off-peak | Auto Pay peak | Other payment methods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle, moped or motor tricycle | £1.55 | £2.60 | £2.60 |
| Car or small van | £1.55 | £4.20 | £4.20 |
| Large van | £2.60 | £6.80 | £6.80 |
| Heavy Goods Vehicle | £5.25 | £10.50 | £10.50 |
Quick answer: from 21 September, a standard car costs £1.55 off-peak or £4.20 at peak times when registered for Auto Pay. Without Auto Pay, the charge is £4.20 throughout the chargeable period. The Blackwall Tunnel and Silvertown Tunnel use the same tariff.
How much are the charges increasing?
TfL describes the change as an inflation-based increase. Its July 2026 announcement on the new tunnel charges says the calculation used the cumulative change in RPI between December 2024 and March 2026. That produced an inflation figure of 4.9%, but the charges were rounded to the nearest 5p, giving an effective overall increase of 4.4%.
| Vehicle | Old off-peak | New off-peak | Old peak | New peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motorcycle / moped | £1.50 | £1.55 | £2.50 | £2.60 |
| Car / small van | £1.50 | £1.55 | £4.00 | £4.20 |
| Large van | £2.50 | £2.60 | £6.50 | £6.80 |
| HGV | £5.00 | £5.25 | £10.00 | £10.50 |
LCM clarification: the increase is not a flat 5% on every tariff. Rounding means the car off-peak charge rises by 5p, or about 3.3%, while the car peak charge rises by 20p, or 5%. TfL says there is no change to the charging hours, discounts, exemptions or Penalty Charge Notice rates as part of the September increase.
What are the Blackwall Tunnel peak hours?
TfL's charging-hours guidance confirms that both tunnels are charged from 06:00 to 22:00 every day except Christmas Day. Travel between 22:00 and 06:00 is not charged. For Auto Pay customers, peak pricing applies Monday to Friday from 06:00 to 10:00 northbound and 16:00 to 19:00 southbound. Other chargeable times are off-peak, including Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. The charge is made for every crossing in either direction, so a return journey normally creates two separate charges.
Auto Pay matters more than the time of day
The main practical distinction is payment method. The off-peak tariff is only available to vehicles registered for TfL Auto Pay. A driver paying separately online, by app or through another payment channel pays the relevant peak-rate price even when the journey itself takes place off-peak.
For construction firms, tradespeople and fleet operators this can create a substantial difference. A large van using Auto Pay at an off-peak time costs £2.60 from 21 September; the same crossing paid manually costs £6.80. An HGV crossing off-peak costs £5.25 with Auto Pay but £10.50 through other payment channels.
Manual payments can be made after a journey, but TfL requires payment by midnight on the third day following the crossing. An unpaid journey can result in a £180 Penalty Charge Notice, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days. TfL says the September tariff increase does not change those PCN amounts.
Discounts and exemptions remain in place
TfL's discounts and exemptions guidance confirms that eligible low-income residents in 12 east and south-east London boroughs and the City of London can receive a 50% tunnel discount. TfL says that scheme is available until 7 April 2028 and requires registration.
Eligible small businesses, charities and sole traders based in Greenwich, Newham or Tower Hamlets can receive a £1 discount on the off-peak charge for up to three vehicles, provided the vehicles are registered for Auto Pay. Blue Badge holders can register for a 100% discount, while certain disabled-tax-class, emergency-service and NHS vehicles are exempt. TfL-licensed taxis are also exempt, with separate provisions for qualifying private hire vehicles.
Electric vehicles are not automatically exempt from the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel charge simply because they are zero-emission. The applicable vehicle tariff still applies unless the driver or vehicle qualifies for another TfL discount or exemption.
Why both tunnels are charged
Silvertown Tunnel opened on 7 April 2025 between the Greenwich Peninsula and Silvertown. Charging was introduced at both Silvertown and Blackwall at the same time to manage traffic demand across the two crossings. LCM included the opening of Silvertown Tunnel among the major London infrastructure milestones delivered in 2025. TfL will continue monitoring traffic, air quality, public transport use and the effect of the user-charge regime until at least April 2028. For drivers, the immediate change is simpler: from Monday 21 September the new tariff applies to every chargeable Blackwall or Silvertown crossing, while the charging hours and existing discount structure remain unchanged.
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Expert Verification & Authorship: Mihai Chelmus Founder & Editor, London Construction Magazine | Construction Testing & Investigation Specialist |