Getting to Barking Riverside: rail, river, bus and car
Every way of getting to Barking Riverside: 42 minutes by Overground from Fenchurch Street, about 22 minutes by car, plus river, 24-hour buses and 50-plus free parking spaces.
Barking Riverside used to be a hard place to reach. That changed when it got its own Overground station, a pier and round-the-clock buses. Arcadia Riverside sits at 47 Thames Road, IG11 0HQ, and there are four sensible ways to arrive. Here is each one, with the honest travel times, so you can point guests to whichever suits them.
By rail: 42 minutes on the Overground
The Overground is the simplest option for most people without a car. Barking Riverside is the end of the Suffragette line, and the ride from Fenchurch Street takes about 42 minutes. Trains are frequent, step-free, and drop you a short walk from the venue.
For a conference or an awards night, this is the route to put at the top of your invitation. Delegates travelling from across London, or in from a mainline terminus, can get here without a car and without a change of plan. The Getting Here page has the current station detail and walking directions.
By river: Uber Boat to Barking Riverside Pier
Uber Boat by Thames Clippers runs from central London piers to Barking Riverside Pier. From there, guests continue to the venue by a short local walk or connection. It is a scenic way into the district rather than a doorstep arrival, so most guests will still take the train or drive.
By bus: 24 hours a day
Three routes serve the area around the clock: the EL1, EL2 and EL3. That matters more than it sounds. If your event runs late, into an awards after-party or an evening reception, guests are not stranded when the last train has gone. Night buses keep the venue reachable at any hour, which takes a real worry off your run sheet.
By car: about 22 minutes from central London
Drivers are about 22 minutes from central London, and a few minutes off the A13, so it is easy to find and easy to load into. There are more than 50 free parking spaces on site, which is rare for a London venue of this size and useful for guests coming in from Essex, Kent or further out.
Two practical notes for anyone driving:
- The venue is inside the ULEZ zone, so check your vehicle before you set off. Older cars may owe the daily charge.
- For exhibitions, launches and filming, the quick A13 access doubles as a load-in route. You can bring vehicles close to a flat, single-level floor rather than carrying kit across the site.
Which route to suggest
For a working day, lead with the Overground: it is quick, step-free and needs no parking. For a celebration, offer the river as the arrival and the train as the fallback. For late finishes, remind guests the buses run all night. And for anyone bringing a car or a van, the free parking and A13 access do the work, with the ULEZ note attached so nobody is caught out.
If you want help planning arrivals for a specific date, timing a group off one train, or building a river welcome into the schedule, tell us the plan and we will map it with you. We respond the same working day.
