Everything about The Docklands Light Railway totally explained
The
Docklands Light Railway (
DLR) is a
light rail system serving the redeveloped
Docklands area of
East London, England. It opened on
August 31 1987 and after extensions reaches north to
Stratford, south to
Lewisham, west to
Bank in the
City of London financial district, and east to
Beckton and
North Woolwich. DLR track and trains are not compatible with those of
London Underground, but the two systems share a ticketing system and the DLR is shown on the
London Underground Tube map.
The trains are computer-controlled and normally have no driver: a Passenger Service Agent (PSA)
on each train is responsible for patrolling the train, checking tickets, making announcements and controlling the doors. PSAs can also take control of the train in certain circumstances including equipment failure and emergencies. Stations are generally unstaffed except those below ground, which are required to be staffed in case evacuation is needed.
The DLR has been operated and maintained by a franchisee since
1997. The current franchise, due to expire in
April 2013, is held by Serco Docklands Ltd., a company formed jointly by
Serco and the former DLR management team.
The DLR system has 39 stations and is expanding. In
2006 it carried over 60 million passengers. The Docklands Light Railway was 20 years old on
31 August 2007.
History
The docks east of London began to decline in the early
1960s as international freight became containerised. The opening of the
Tilbury container docks, further east in
Essex, rendered the old docks redundant and in
1980 control of them passed to the British government.
The
Jubilee Line of the
London Underground had opened in
1979 from
Stanmore to
Charing Cross, intended as the first stage of a cross-town tube line beyond Charing Cross to various places in south-east
London.
Although land, for example at
Ludgate Circus and at
Lewisham, had been reserved for the second stage, the rising cost for that
Jubilee Line extension led in the early
1980s to the project's indefinite postponement.
The
London Docklands Development Corporation, needing to provide public transport cheaply for the former docks area to stimulate regeneration, chose a light-rail scheme using still existing docks railway infrastructure to link the
West India Docks to
Tower Hill and to a northern terminus, for which
Stratford station, using a track alongside the Great Eastern lines out of London, was preferred over
Mile End where the need for tram-like street-running was at variance with the plan to have a fully automated railway. At Stratford a disused bay platform at the west of the station was advantageous and there was interchange with the
Central Line and main lines. The growth brought to
Docklands later enabled the
Jubilee Line to be extended in
1999 to
East London, by a more southerly route than originally proposed, through Surrey Quays/Docks,
Canary Wharf, the Greenwich peninsula (which was the next regeneration area) to Stratford.
The initial system, costing only £77 million, from
Tower Gateway and from
Stratford to
Island Gardens was opened by Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II.
Initial system
The initial system was constructed by
Balfour Beatty between
1985 and
1987.
As originally conceived, the system was to be entirely above ground and comprise three branches, with their termini at
Tower Gateway,
Stratford and
Island Gardens. Most of the track was elevated, either on new lightweight concrete viaducts or on disused railway viaducts, with some use of disused surface-level railway right of way.
The system was lightweight, with stations and trains only a single articulated vehicle long. The three branches together totalled 13
km, were connected by a flat triangular junction near
Poplar. Services ran Tower Gateway-Island Gardens and Stratford-Island Gardens, meaning that the north side of the junction wasn't used in regular passenger service.
The stations on the initial system were mostly to a common design and were constructed out of a standard set of parts. The principal distinguishing feature of the stations was a relatively short half cylindrical glazed blue canopy to provide shelter from the rain.
First extensions
The initial system proved to have insufficient capacity as the Docklands area developed into a major financial centre and employment zone. Additionally, the Tower Gateway terminus, situated at the very edge of the
City of London, attracted criticism for its poor connections.
In response to this, all stations and trains were extended to two-unit lengths, and the system was extended into the heart of the City of London with a tunnel to
Bank underground station, which opened in 1991. This extension diverged from the initial western branch, leaving
Tower Gateway station on a limb. It also rendered the initial car fleet obsolete, as its construction wasn't suitable for use underground
(see the Rolling Stock section, below, and the main article Docklands Light Railway rolling stock).
At the same time, the areas in the east of
Docklands needed better transport connections to encourage development. This resulted in a fourth branch being constructed, from
Poplar via
Canning Town transport interchange to
Beckton, running along the north side of the Royal Docks complex. Early designs showed several options through the Blackwall Area . As part of this extension, one side of the original flat triangular junction was replaced with a
grade-separated junction west of Poplar, and a new grade-separated junction was created at the divergence of the Stratford and Beckton lines east of Poplar. Poplar station was rebuilt to provide cross-platform interchange between the Stratford and Beckton lines.
The growth of the
Canary Wharf office complex required the redevelopment of
Canary Wharf DLR station from a small wayside station to a large complex with six platforms serving three tracks, beneath a large overall roof and fully integrated into the malls below the office towers. The original DLR station was never completed and was, in fact, dismantled before the line officially opened. The automatically-operated trains continued to stop at this location.
Second stage extensions
Early in the days of the DLR's operation, the
London Borough of Lewisham commissioned a feasibility study of extending the DLR under the Thames to Lewisham. The outcome of the study led the South London borough to push the case for an extension, and eventually a line to
Greenwich,
Deptford and Lewisham joined the roster of extensions.
The line was planned to leave the original DLR route south of Crossharbour turn-back sidings, dropping gently to Mudchute, a street level station replacing the high-level Mudchute on the former London & Blackwall viaduct. Immediately after, the line would drop into tunnel, tracing the route of the viaduct to Island Gardens, a just-below-surface station reached by a staircase. Crossing the Thames, the line would have a station in the centre of Greenwich, thereafter rising to the surface in deep tunnel and then cut-and-cover to a stop at the mainline
Greenwich station, the southbound DLR track offering convenient cross-platform interchange with the city-bound mainline. From here, the line would snake across concrete viaducts to Deptford, Elverson Road (at street level on a road close to Lewisham town centre), terminating in two platforms lying directly under the mainline platforms at Lewisham, in walking distance of the town shopping centre, and bus services stopping directly outside the station.
The Lewisham extension, authorised as above, opened in 1999. With the opening of the extension, DLR took its first steps from being a local people-mover to a truly important backbone of the east/south-east London transport system.
On
2 December 2005, a new eastward branch, running along the southern side of the
Royal Docks complex, opened from Canning Town to
King George V, via
London City Airport. Further extension to Woolwich, already being shown on London tube maps, and to be built at or close to the future stop on the
Crossrail line to Abbey Wood via West India and Royal Docks, will contribute to this growth.
Current system
The DLR now includes routes extending for a total of 31
km. There are five branches: to
Lewisham in the south,
Stratford in the north,
Beckton and
King George V in the east, and to Central London, splitting to serve
Bank and
Tower Gateway. Although the system allows many different combinations of routes, at present the following four are operated in normal service:
- Stratford to Lewisham
- Bank to Lewisham
- Bank to King George V
- Tower Gateway to Beckton
Trains during peak times on the Stratford line turn back at
Crossharbour rather than continuing to Lewisham. There are also occasional trains from
Tower Gateway to Crossharbour and
Lewisham. There are no
limited-stop trains on the DLR: every train serves every station on its route.
The northern and southern branches terminate at the National Rail (main line) stations at Stratford and Lewisham. Other direct interchanges between the DLR and National Rail are at
Limehouse and Greenwich.
Map
Stations
Many DLR stations are elevated, with others at street level, in a cutting, or underground. Access to the platforms is normally by staircase, very few stations having escalators. The DLR network from the outset has been fully accessible to wheelchairs. The stations have high platforms, matching the floor height of the cars, allowing easy access to the trains for passengers with wheelchairs or pushchairs.
Most of the stations are of a modular design dating back to the initial system, albeit extended and improved over the years. This design has two side platforms, each with separate access from the street, and platform canopies with a distinctive rounded roof design. Most stations are unstaffed, although for safety reasons the three stations below ground,
Bank,
Island Gardens, and
Cutty Sark, are staffed, as are a few of the busier interchange stations.
See
List of Docklands Light Railway stations for stations on the system.
DLR Art
On the
3 July 2007, DLR officially launched their own
art programme
similar to that in place on the
London Underground,
Platform for Art. Alan Williams was appointed to produce Docklands Light Railway's first temporary commission. Known as "sidetrack" the project portrays the ordinary and extraordinary sights, often unfamiliar to passengers, along the route of the Docklands Light Railway and was displayed throughout the network.
Fares and ticketing
Ticketing is part of the London Fare zone system, and
Travelcards that cover the correct zones are valid.
There are also one-day and season DLR-only "Rover" tickets available, plus a one-day DLR "Rail and River Rover" ticket for use on the DLR and on City Cruises river boats. Oyster Pre-Pay is also available on the DLR — passengers need to both touch in and touch out their
Oyster cards on the readers at the entrance / exit to the platforms, or pass through the automatic gates at selected stations.
Tickets must be purchased from ticket machines at the entrance to the platforms, and are required before the passenger enters the platform. There are no ticket barriers in DLR-only stations, and correct ticketing is enforced by on-train checks by the Passenger Service Agent. Exceptions to this rule are
Bank,
Canning Town and
Stratford stations, where the DLR platforms are located within the barrier lines of a
London Underground or
National Rail station.
The DLR is used by up to a hundred thousand people daily, with around 60 million journeys yearly.
Accidents and incidents
Overrun of station buffers
Prior to the public opening of the railway, on
10 March 1987, a train crashed through station
buffer stops at the original high-level terminus
Island Gardens station and was left hanging from the end of the elevated track. The accident was caused by unauthorised tests being run before accident-preventing modifications had been installed. The train was being driven manually at the time.
Service difficulties with the Royal train
In July 1987, a series of minor incidents marred the operation of the royal train (number E2R) carrying
Queen Elizabeth II as part of the ceremonies marking the opening of the line. The train had been manually dispatched from its starting point at Island Gardens station five minutes early because of the early arrival of the royal party. The train was on automatic control and so, being ahead of schedule, was held at the next station (Mudchute) for a few minutes before the driver reverted to manual control "to speed the Royal passage" and continued on to Poplar station, where the royal party were to disembark. At the station, a member of the royal security detail used the emergency exit to leave the train ahead of the Queen before it had fully stopped. This caused the train to make an emergency stop in the station, short of its normal position and out of range of the docking beacon that marked its arrival point. The train doors wouldn't open, impeding the Queen's exit for several minutes.
Collision at West India Quay bridge
On
22 April 1991, two trains collided at a junction on the
West India Quay bridge during morning
rush hour, requiring a shutdown of the entire system and evacuation of the involved passengers by ladder. One of the two trains was traveling automatically, operating without a driver, while the other was under manual control.
South Quay bombing
The Docklands Light Railway has also been the scene of a terrorist attack. On
9 February 1996, the
Provisional Irish Republican Army exploded a
lorry under a bridge near
South Quay DLR station, killing 2 people and injuring many others. This number would have been higher if not for advance warning. The blast did £85 million damage and marked an end to the IRA ceasefire. Significant disruption was caused to DLR services, and a train was left stranded at Island Gardens station, unable to move until the track was rebuilt.
Rolling stock
The DLR is operated by high-floor, bi-directional, single-articulated cars with four doors on each side, each train consisting of two cars. The cars have no driver’s cab, although there's a small driver’s console concealed behind a locked panel at each car end from which the Passenger Service Agent (PSA) can drive the car when necessary. Other consoles at each door opening allow the PSA to control door closure and make announcements whilst patrolling the train. Because of the absence of a driver’s position, the fully-glazed car ends provide an unusual forward (or rear) view for passengers. The current stock has a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/hour).
Despite having high floors and being highly automated, the cars are derived from a
German light-rail design intended for use in systems with elements of street running. All the cars that have operated on the system to date look similar, but there have been several different types, some still in service and others sold to other operators. A further car type, with quite different styling, is to be introduced in 2007.
Signalling technology
Originally, the DLR used
signalling based on a
fixed-block technology developed by
GEC-General Signal and
General Railway Signal.
Recent developments
New platforms at Stratford
» Status - both platforms have opened
The DLR originally only had one narrow two-car platform at
Stratford, which limited capacity and hindered interchange with other services at the station. This closed on
15 June 2007 and has been replaced by two new three-car platforms: the first new platform opened on
18 June 2007 and the second opened on
9 December 2007.
Langdon Park station
» Status - Opened
A station at
Langdon Park in-between
All Saints and
Devons Road stations opened on
December 9 2007 .
Future developments
With the development of the eastern Docklands as part of the ‘
Thames Gateway’ initiative and London’s successful bid for the
2012 Summer Olympics, several extensions and enhancements are under construction, being planned or being discussed:
Woolwich Arsenal extension
» Status - Under Construction
This will extend the
London City Airport branch from
King George V to
Woolwich Arsenal and is due to open on
28 February 2009.. The projected cost of £150 million, due to a required second DLR tunnel crossing of the
River Thames, is being met by
Private Finance Initiative funding. Construction began in June 2005, and the tunnel was completed on
23 July 2007.
Upgrading Bank - Lewisham route to 3-car trains
» Status - Under Construction
The stations between
Bank and
Lewisham will be upgraded to allow operation of 3-car trains to increase capacity. More frequent trains were considered as an alternative, but it was found that the necessary signalling changes would be as expensive as upgrading to handle longer trains but would provide fewer benefits.
The work involves the lengthening of platforms at most above-ground stations together with viaduct-strengthening works to support the additional weight of lengthened trains, as much of this section dates from the initial system originally built for single-car operation.
South Quay station will be rebuilt to the east as nearby curves preclude lengthening.
Mudchute will gain a third platform and all the platforms there will have a full-length canopy. However, due to the cost and the risk to nearby historic buildings, the underground
Cutty Sark station won't be extended, but use of
Selective Door Operation (SDO) has been approved by the
Railway Inspectorate at this station instead.
The £200m works contract was awarded on 3 May 2007 . The work is to be carried out during 2007-2009. Some work has already started resulting in partial weekend closures and a large portion of the work will be carried out in 2008 in concentrated periods of activity.
Other stations affected
Although not on the Bank – Lewisham route, two other stations are included in the plans so as to improve operational flexibility.
Poplar station has already been lengthened in advance of the work elsewhere to confirm that the proposed method of construction is satisfactory. To enable use by 3-car trains,
Tower Gateway will be converted from its current two-track terminal layout to a single line served by two platforms; the southern access for departures, the northern for arrivals . It will be closed from 28 June 2008 until April 2009 to enable the work to be carried out.
Stratford International extension / North London Line conversion
» Status - Under Construction
An extension is currently being built from Canning Town to the new
Stratford International station. This takes over part of the closed section of the
North London Line infrastructure and will link the Docklands area with domestic and international high-speed services on
High Speed 1. It is projected to open early in 2010 and is an important part of the transport improvement package for the
2012 Olympic Games, which will largely be held on a site adjoining Stratford International.
Four new stations will be built:
Star Lane (formerly known as Cody Road),
Abbey Road,
Stratford High Street (formerly known as Stratford Market) and Stratford International, as well as serving
West Ham and
Stratford stations. All stations will be able to accommodate 3-car trains. An important part of the project is to build new platforms at Stratford for the North London Line so that the site of the current platforms (1 and 2) is available for the new DLR platforms.
As part of the
Transport & Works Act (TWA) application, the Beckton branch
Royal Victoria station will be extended to accommodate 3-car trains. The opportunity will also be taken to provide a third platform to enable trains to reverse there. This now possible due to the closure of the eastern arm of the North London line which means the additional land necessary has become available.
The first contract for construction work was awarded on
10 January 2007 and construction work started in mid-2007.
Upgrading other lines to 3-car trains
» Status - Transport & Works Act approval given
When work to allow 3-car trains between
Bank and
Lewisham is complete, the only two parts of the network unable to take 3-car trains will be
Poplar to
Stratford and Poplar to
Beckton. Approval has been given for upgrading those two sections between 2008 and 2010 and for further grade-separation at Delta Junction north of
West India Quay to allow enable all routes to operate without the present conflict between services to Stratford and from Bank; however, southbound services from Bank will be unable to stop at West India Quay due to the removal of the outer platform. This will, however, permit possible new services from
Beckton and
Woolwich to terminate at
Canary Wharf or
Lewisham.
However TfL have stated that due to lack of committed funding the Beckton branch wouldn't be upgraded to 3-car operation at the moment.
Dagenham Dock extension
» Status - TWA Submitted - Expected Completion - 2017
This proposed extension from
Gallions Reach to
Dagenham Dock via the riverside at Barking, would connect the Barking Reach area, a formerly industrial area now undergoing major redevelopment as part of the
London Riverside, with the Docklands. It would cover major developments at Creekmouth, Barking Riverside, Dagenham Dock Opportunity Area, and five stations are planned at
Beckton Riverside,
Creekmouth,
Barking Riverside,
Dagenham Vale and Dagenham Dock. The extension is key if
English Partnerships' plan is to work. As shown in DLR's first consultation leaflet, there are plans for the DLR to extend further than
Dagenham Dock, possibly to
Dagenham Heathway or
Rainham.
Construction isn't expected to start until 2013 and the earliest expected completion date is 2017.
Thames Wharf station
» Status - Proposed
This station had been included as potential future development on the
London City Airport extension since it was first planned. It would be between
Canning Town and
West Silvertown, due west of the western end of
Royal Victoria Dock. Since the station's intended purpose is to serve the surrounding area (currently a mix of
brownfield and run-down industrial sites) when it's regenerated, the development is indefinitely on hold due to the area being safeguarded for the
Silvertown Link, a new Thames river crossing proposed for opening by 2015.
Connaught Road / Silvertown Interchange station
» Status - Proposed
A site near to
London City Airport has been identified as a possible additional station on the London City Airport extension. It would be a possible interchange with
Crossrail, between
London City Airport and
Pontoon Dock. However, no plans have emerged as to when this station is to be planned and built. The original extension was designed to allow a station to be built here. It may be located south of the Connaught Crossing.
Charing Cross extension
» Status - Proposed - 2026
In February 2006 a proposal to extend the DLR to
Charing Cross station from
Bank DLR branch was revealed. The idea, originating from a DLR "Horizon Study", is at a very early stage at the moment, but would involve extending the line from Bank in bored tunnels under Central London to the Charing Cross
Jubilee line platforms, which would be brought back to public use. These platforms are now on a spur off the current Jubilee line and are not used by passenger trains.
While not confirmed it's probable that the scheme would also use the existing overrun tunnels between the Charing Cross Jubilee platforms and a location slightly to the west of
Aldwych. These tunnels were intended to be incorporated into the abandoned Phase 2 of the
Fleet Line (Phase 1 became the original Jubilee Line, prior to the Jubilee Line Extension). However they'd need some enlargement because DLR
gauge is larger than tube gauge and current safety regulations would require an emergency walkway to be provided in the tunnel.
The two reasons driving the proposal are capacity problems at Bank, having basically one interchange between the DLR and the central portion of
Underground, and the difficult journeys faced by passengers from
Kent and South Coast between their rail termini and the DLR. Intermediate stations would be at
City Thameslink and
Aldwych, for future connection with the
Cross River Tram.
Euston/King's Cross extension
» Status - Proposed
During the last Horizon study, a possible extension was considered from Bank towards
Euston or
King's Cross. The main benefit of this extension will be tapping into an area that doesn't have a direct link to the Canary Wharf site, either existing or proposed. This would create a new artery in central London and help relieve the Northern and Circle lines. There are no official plans for possible stations except towards
Farringdon, possibly using some of the
soon-to-be-disused Thameslink infrastructure.
Works contingent on Crossrail
» Status - Proposed
If
Crossrail is approved some of the track between Bow Church and Stratford would need to be moved to the south. The opportunity would then be taken to double the track throughout and eliminate the only significant section of single track on the system.
The current route projections for the cross-London Crossrail Line 1 entail interchanges with the DLR at Custom House, Stratford, and the provision for interchanges at West India Quay (with Crossrail Isle of Dogs station) and London City Airport (with Crossrail Silvertown station). Another option would be to provide an interchange with a possible new station on the DLR (see
Connaught Road/Silvertown Interchange station section above).
Lewisham to Catford extension
» Status - Proposed - 2026
This extension was looked at during the latest Horizon Study. The route would follow the
Southeastern line and terminate between
Catford station and
Catford Bridge station. However early plans showed problems due to Lewisham DLR station being only marginally higher than the busy A20 road which impedes any proposed extension. The plan is however being revised. When the Lewisham extension was first completed there were proposals to continue further to
Beckenham to link it up with the
Tramlink system. However, the way in which Lewisham DLR was built impeded this possible extension and would prove costly to redevelop.
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