Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel PCN Appeal (2026)

Received a Blackwall or Silvertown charge PCN despite paying or using Auto Pay? We check the crossing date, vehicle, payment and applicable rate, then prepare and submit your representation to TfL.

Start with a free Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge PCN assessment. Our £9.99 Automated Penalty Charge Appeal Service prepares and submits your representation and handles your tribunal appeal.

Check Your PCN

London context photograph.

1. What does a Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge PCN mean?

A Blackwall or Silvertown charging PCN alleges that the required charge was not paid for a crossing. Each crossing is assessed separately, so a return journey can involve two charges.

These are charging penalties under the Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018. They are separate from ULEZ, the Congestion Charge and the maximum-weight restrictions at Rotherhithe.

Scheme: Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels crossing charge; separate from Rotherhithe restrictions
Charging hours: 06:00-22:00 daily except Christmas Day, for each crossing in either direction
Payment deadline: Midnight on the third day after travel
Peak periods: Northbound 06:00-10:00 and southbound 16:00-19:00, Monday-Friday except bank holidays
Rate: Depends on crossing date, vehicle class and payment method; lower off-peak rates require Auto Pay
PCN and discount: £180, reduced by 50% to £90 within 14 days beginning with service
Representation deadline: 28 days beginning with service of the PCN

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The legislation governing Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge

The Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels charge has its own foundation in the Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018, as corrected or amended. Article 54 authorises charges for using either tunnel; article 55 addresses payment and liability; article 56 applies specified London road-user-charging enforcement provisions. TfL's Statement of Charges supplies the operational charging rules. These crossing charges are separate from ULEZ and from vehicle-access restrictions such as those at Rotherhithe.

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2. Check the crossing and the charge

Match the camera record to the tunnel, direction, date, time and vehicle. Then compare it with the charge and payment arrangement that applied on that crossing date.

From 7 April 2025 to 20 September 2026, a car or small van costs £1.50 off-peak on Auto Pay, or £4 at peak times and through other payment methods. TfL has announced replacement rates from 21 September 2026: check the dated official table below rather than applying a newer charge to an older journey.

A receipt needs to cover the actual crossing date and registration. Check that Auto Pay included the vehicle and was active at the time. A ULEZ or Congestion Charge payment does not settle the crossing charge.

The camera record identifies the vehicle at the stated tunnel and time.
The charge matches the vehicle class and rate in force on the crossing date.
The payment or Auto Pay record covers the crossing rather than another day or scheme.
Any discount or exemption approval applied to that vehicle and journey.

Check your vehicle details with DVLA

Check your vehicle with TfL

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3. Grounds for a Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge PCN appeal

Check the actual approval and nominated vehicle for any claimed discount or exemption. Registration conditions matter; being eligible for another TfL scheme's discount does not by itself establish that this crossing was covered.

The correct crossing charge was paid on time for the vehicle and date.
No charge was due because the crossing was outside charging hours or an applicable exemption covered it.
The vehicle identification or keeper liability is wrong, supported by the relevant records.
The penalty exceeds the amount legally payable. Explain payment mistakes or exceptional circumstances separately with evidence.

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4. How to submit your Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge representation

Make formal representations to TfL within 28 days beginning with service of the PCN.

Include the crossing details, receipt, Auto Pay statement and any discount or exemption confirmation. Identify precisely how each record relates to this PCN.

Open TfL's challenge service with the PCN number and vehicle registration.
State the ground for cancellation and upload the documents supporting it. Keep the submission confirmation and a copy of everything sent.
For a postal representation, complete and sign the notice's representation section and send it with your evidence to the address printed on your tunnel charging PCN. Allow time for delivery before the deadline.
If Parking Mate UK is acting for you, provide authorisation so we can submit the representation on your behalf.

Submit a Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge representation to TfL

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5. The 50% discount while you challenge

The PCN offers a 50% reduction from £180 to £90 within 14 days beginning with service. Keep the representation confirmation and check TfL's response for the amount and next payment deadline; an appeal does not guarantee a new full discount period.

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6. TfL's response and the next step

TfL may accept the representation, request more evidence or reject it. If it requests information, send the records by the deadline in that letter and keep a copy.

An acceptance closes the disputed PCN. A rejection explains the payment position and the independent appeal route. Keep it with your original representation and the supporting vehicle or payment records.

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7. Taking your Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge appeal to London Tribunals

After rejection, appeal within 28 days beginning with service of the rejection notice. Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge appeals go to the Road User Charging Adjudicators. The tribunal is independent of TfL and there is no appeal filing fee.

Use the appeal form or online verification details provided. Submit your representation, TfL's decision and the evidence supporting your vehicle status, payment or exemption ground. Review TfL's evidence pack and respond to the disputed points.

Parking Mate UK prepares and submits your tribunal appeal and helps respond to the evidence pack. If the tribunal refuses the appeal, follow the payment deadline in its decision.

London Tribunals: preparing your appeal

London Tribunals online appeals

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Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge tribunal decisions

Selected decisions about Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge are assessed against the evidence and rules applicable to each journey.

Blackwall payment receipts covered different travel dates

Transport for LondonAppeal refused

Case 9250514427 / 2025-11-30 / Adjudicator Gilda Kiai

Two receipts and a payment screenshot did not cover the 27 August journey; the adjudicator checked the receipts against TfL's date-specific records.

“No valid charge was purchased for that date by the deadline prescribed in the Statement of Charges.”
Gilda Kiai, case 9250514427

A102 Blackwall Tunnel (Greenwich)

The appellant challenged a Blackwall Tunnel charging penalty for travel on 27 August 2025. He supplied two receipts and a screenshot of payment transactions, arguing that they demonstrated payment. TfL said the receipts covered travel on 25 and 30 August, not the journey under appeal.

Gilda Kiai compared the travel dates on the receipts with TfL's supporting account records. She found that the vehicle entered the Blackwall charging area on 27 August and that no valid charge had been purchased for that date within the required period. A payment transaction date did not change the travel date covered by the receipt.

The recorded outcome was Appeal refused: the decision found the contravention proved and the payment ground unestablished. Kiai acknowledged the appellant's efforts and good faith but did not treat them as grounds for cancellation. The case concerns the Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnels Charging Scheme, with an actual Blackwall journey identified in the findings.

Read the case commentary Find case 9250514427 in the official register

Silvertown appeal allowed after TfL stopped contesting it

Transport for LondonAppeal allowed

Case 9250345294 / 2025-10-08 / Adjudicator Michael Range

TfL withdrew its opposition after an adjournment; the tribunal ordered cancellation without deciding the disputed handling of telephone calls.

“TfL subsequently informed the tribunal that they would no longer contest the appeal”
Michael Range, case 9250345294

A1026 Silvertown Tunnel (Newham)

This appeal concerned a Silvertown Tunnel charging penalty. The appellant maintained that calls to TfL had not been handled properly and argued that no charge was payable in the circumstances. The postal appeal was adjourned to allow the appellant to provide evidence of those calls.

TfL subsequently told the tribunal that it would no longer contest the appeal. Michael Range allowed it on that basis, directed cancellation of the penalty and ordered that any money paid towards it be refunded. The recorded outcome was Appeal allowed.

This was an uncontested disposal, not an adjudicated finding that TfL mishandled the calls or that the appellant's legal argument was correct. The published reasons do not explain why TfL stopped contesting the case. The cancellation should therefore be understood as that outcome, without attributing an unrecorded concession or broader defect to the tunnel charging scheme.

Read the case commentary Find case 9250345294 in the official register

Sources and references

TfL: Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel charges
Per-crossing charges, operation, payment methods and dated current and upcoming rates.
TfL: tunnel charging statements
Statement of Charges 1 and the new statement effective 21 September 2026.
TfL: discounts and exemptions
Check applicable scheme, approval and vehicle registration conditions.
TfL: challenge a PCN
Official challenge service. Use the instructions and address on the tunnel PCN.
Silvertown Tunnel Statement of Charges, November 2024
Articles 6-11 and Annex 4: charges, payments, penalties and representations.
Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018, SI 2018/574
Articles 44(21)-(22), 53-56; Schedule 8 Part 3 paragraphs 6 and 9. Read as corrected/amended.
Silvertown Tunnel Statement of Charges, 25 November 2024
Articles 1, 6-11 and Annex 4. Initial charges applied from 7 April 2025.
Paying the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels charge
Current and future price tables; when to pay. Bank-holiday exclusion from peak hours is explicit in Statement 1 article 1.
Regulations
RUCA legislation list, including both 2001 regulations, both 2003 amendments, scheme orders and the 2019 Silvertown correction order.
Rotherhithe Tunnel restrictions
Vehicle restrictions, gross vehicle weight and link to red-route challenge procedure.
GOV.UK: get vehicle information from DVLA
Official vehicle enquiry service: registration, fuel type, European status, type approval and recorded weight.
London Tribunals: road-user-charging appeals
Independent tribunal route and appeal procedure.
Road User Charging (Enforcement and Adjudication) (London) Regulations 2001
As amended: representations and adjudication, including regulation 16.

About Parking Mate UK

For a tunnel charging PCN, we match the camera crossing to the payment, Auto Pay record and applicable charge. The representation focuses on that journey and the evidence that establishes whether a penalty was payable.

Send us your Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel Charge PCN for a free assessment. Our automated appeal platform prepares your documents, submits your representation, tracks deadlines and handles the tribunal appeal, with support online and on WhatsApp.

For court, Traffic Enforcement Centre and bailiff matters, we prepare documents for you to review, sign and send where required.