Docklands Light Railway

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The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light-rail public transport metro for the redeveloped Docklands area of eastern London, England. The DLR is separate from the London Underground, having separate tracks and rolling stock. The two systems are, however, integrated wherever they meet, and share a single ticketing system. The DLR appears on the London Underground’s Tube map.

All the trains are computer-controlled and have no driver. However, 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 case of computer failure or emergency.

Operation and maintenance of the DLR has been a private franchise since 1992. The current franchise, due to expire in April 2006, belongs to Serco Docklands Ltd, a company jointly formed by Serco and the former DLR management team. Re-franchising is currently being undertaken with Serco and French transport group Keolis named as the two bidders who have been invited to submit best and final offers for the new seven year franchise. First Group and Transdev had pre-qualified to bid, but did not make the shortlist. Final bids were to be submitted by 27 September 2005, and on the 22 November 2005 Transport for London announced that Serco had been selected as the preferred bidder .

History

Tower Gateway station was the DLR’s original link to central London.

Initial system

The Docklands Light Railway was conceived in the late 1980s by the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) to aid the regeneration of the docks of East London, which had been derelict since the 1960s. As originally conceived, the system was to be entirely above ground and consist of three branches, with their termini at Tower Gateway, Stratford, and Island Gardens DLR station.

The initial idea was a system using modern tram-derived light-rail vehicles, with overhead current collection, manual driving, and some elements of street level running. The LDDC, however, wanted to showcase cutting-edge technology and disliked the overhead wires, and so chose an automatically driven system with third-rail current collection, but still using tram-derived vehicles. Most of the tracks were elevated, either on new lightweight concrete viaduct structures or on disused railway viaducts, with some use of disused surface level railway right of way. The system was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 31 July 1987, with the passenger service starting a month later on the 31 August.

As opened the system was still 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, and services were operated between all three terminals.

First extensions

The view from Tower Gateway looking east shows Fenchurch Street approach tracks to the left, the original DLR line in the centre, and DLR train emerging from the tunnel to Bank to the right.

The initial system proved too lightweight for its job, as the Dockland area developed rapidly into a major financial centre and employment zone. Additionally, the Tower Gateway terminus, situated as it is at the very edge of the City of London financial district, 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 into 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 their construction was not suitable for use underground (see Rolling Stock, below).

At the same time, the unserved areas in the east of the Docklands area needed better transport connections to encourage development there. 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. 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 rail tracks, within a large overall roof and fully integrated into the malls below the office towers. The original DLR Station was never completed!

Once Canary Wharf became a major financial employment centre, demands came to improve transport connections with residential areas to the south-east of London. This was met by an extension of the DLR from Island Gardens in tunnel under the River Thames to Greenwich and then on a new elevated route paralleling Deptford Creek to an interchange at the major rail junction of Lewisham. Besides providing two new rail interchanges (at Greenwich and Lewisham), this branch also serves the tourist area of Greenwich with a new station at Cutty Sark.

A new eastbound branch from Canning Town to King George V, serving the London City Airport, opened on 2 December, 2005. It runs along the southern side of the Royal Docks complex (the Beckton branch runs along the north side).

Current system

A Docklands Light Railway train enters the Canary Wharf interchange station from the south.

The Docklands Light Railway now includes 31 km of track . There are five branches: to Lewisham in the south, Stratford in the north, Beckton and King George V in the east and another leading into Central London (splitting to serve two nearby termini, Bank and Tower Gateway). Although the system allows many different combinations of routings, at present the following four routes are operated in normal service:

• Bank to Lewisham
• Tower Gateway to Beckton
• Stratford to Lewisham
• Bank to King George V

Some trains on the Stratford line turn back at Crossharbour and London Arena 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, so each train serves every stop along its route.

The northern and southern branches terminate at the National Rail (mainline) stations at Stratford and Lewisham respectively. Other direct interchanges between National Rail and the DLR are at Limehouse, Canning Town and Greenwich.

Map

A geographically-accurate map of the Docklands Light Railway

Stations

Many DLR stations are elevated, with a few at street level, in cutting, or underground. Access to the platforms is normally by staircase, with very few stations having escalators, and with some requiring passengers to climb long flights of stairs. All stations are accessible by wheelchair, however, usually by the use of lifts. The stations have high platforms, matching the floor height of the cars, so as to allow easy access to the trains, especially for passengers dependent on wheelchair or carrying buggies.

Most of the stations conform to a simple modular design dating back to the initial system, albeit extended. This design has two side platforms, each with separate access from the street, and platform canopies with a distinctive rounded roof design. Almost all stations are unmanned, although for legislative reasons the three underground stations (Bank, Island Gardens, and Cutty Sark) are manned, along with a few of the busier interchange stations.

Stations on west to east branches

• Terminus: Bank for Central London
• Terminus: Tower Gateway for The Tower of London
• Shadwell (the branches to Tower Gateway and Bank diverge west of Shadwell)
• Limehouse
• Westferry
• Poplar
• Blackwall
• East India
• Canning Town
• Royal Victoria
• Custom House
• Prince Regent
• Royal Albert
• Beckton Park
• Cyprus
• Gallions Reach
• Terminus: Beckton

Stations on north to south branches

• Terminus: Stratford
• Pudding Mill Lane
• Bow Church
• Devons Road
• All Saints
• Poplar (see above)
• West India Quay
• Canary Wharf
• Heron Quays
• South Quay
• Crossharbour and London Arena
• Mudchute
• Island Gardens
• Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich
• Greenwich
• Deptford Bridge
• Elverson Road
• Terminus: Lewisham

Stations on London City Airport branch

Opened December 2 2005.

• Canning Town
• West Silvertown
• Pontoon Dock
• London City Airport
• Terminus King George V

Fares and ticketing

Ticketing for single and return journeys is identical to the London Underground fare-zone system, and Travelcards that cover the correct zones are valid. One-day and season Travelcards provide considerable savings for passengers who make several journeys on different types of public transport in London.

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 for travel on DLR trains be must purchased from ticket machines located at the entrance to the platforms, and in theory are required before the passenger enters the platform. There are, however, no ticket barriers in DLR-only stations, and correct ticketing is enforced by on-train checks by the Passenger Service Agent. The only 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 and/or National Rail station.

Rolling stock

This DLR train is headed by B2K stock car 96, shown at Tower Gateway station

File:NewDocklands.jpg

An artist’s impression of the new DLR stock on order from Bombardier Transportation.

The DLR is operated by high-floor, bi-directional, single-articulated cars with four doors on each side, with each train composed of two cars. The cars have no driver’s cab, although there is 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 in an emergency. 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 excellent forward (or rear) view for passengers.

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 look similar, but there have been five separate types, of which three are still in operation on the DLR.

Retired rolling stock

The original fleet for the 1987 opening consisted of eleven light-rail vehicles built in 1986 by LHB in Germany and numbered 01 to 11. These were referred to as P86 stock, with P referring to Poplar depot, where they were primarily maintained. These cars were built for the initial above-ground system and, because of the lack of appropriate fire-proofing, were not allowed to operate on the tunnelled extension to Bank. Because of this, and because adaptation to a new signalling system was too costly, these cars were sold in 1991 to Essener Verkehrs-AG of Essen, Germany, where they were extensively rebuilt and put into service between 1994 and 1998.

In 1989, BREL supplied another ten LRVs, numbered 12 to 21. These were designated P89 stock and remained in operation on the DLR until the middle of the 1990s. They were also subsequently sold to Essen, where they entered service between 1999 and 2004 after major modifications had been carried out.

Trains sold to Essen are currently being operated (mainly) on Essen's undergound line U11.

Current rolling stock

Further vehicles were required as the network grew and as the original P86 and P89 cars had to be replaced due to their unsuitability to the changed system conditions. Bombardier built 23 vehicles of B90 stock in 1991, 47 vehicles of B92 stock between 1993 and 1995 and 24 vehicles of B2K stock in 2001 and 2002. The B in the type codes refers to Beckton depot, where they are primarily maintained. They are of a common design and can be operated interchangeably in trains of two. All of them remain in service.

The current DLR fleet (at the end of 2004) is:

• 22–44: Bombardier B90, built 1991
• 45–91: Bombardier B92, built 1993–1995
• 92–99, 01–16: Bombardier B2K, built 2001–2002

All DLR cars carried a common livery of red, blue, and white upon delivery. Over the years, several vehicles have received all-over advertising livery. A new livery of turquoise and blue was tested on B92 car 45 in the mid-1990s, but it was not adopted, and the car reverted to standard livery a few years later. Refurbishment of the B90 cars started in 2004, with the completed trains re-entering service in a new livery of red and blue with grey doors.

Future rolling stock

In May 2005, Bombardier announced that they would be providing a further 24 vehicles of a new design, which they consider superior to the current fleet. The new cars, needed for coming extensions and three-car service on the Bank–Lewisham route, are to be delivered between May 2007 and September 2008.

Future developments

With the rapid 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.:

New platforms at Stratford

Status - Under Construction

Currently the DLR has only one platform at Stratford, which limits capacity and ease of interchange with other platforms. Two new replacement platforms are under construction and expected to open in 2007.

Woolwich Arsenal Extension

Status - Under Construction

An extension of the London City Airport branch from King George V to Woolwich Arsenal is under construction. This requires a second DLR tunnel crossing of the River Thames. The projected cost of £150 million expected to be met through the Private Finance Initiative. Construction began in June 2005, and is due to be completed in February 2009.

Upgrading Bank - Lewisham route to 3-car trains

Status - TWA and financial approval given

There is formal approval to upgrade the lines between Bank station and Lewisham station to allow operation of 3-car trains and hence improve capacity on the line. As an alternative, more frequent trains were considered but it was found that the necessary signalling changes would be as expensive as upgrading to longer trains, and provide fewer benefits.

It is expected that the work will be carried out during 2007-2009. The work involves the lengthening of platforms on most stations on the route, together with viaduct-strengthening works to support the longer trains. Most of this section dates from the initial system originally built for single-car operation. South Quay station will require locating as nearby curves preclude lengthening. The below ground Cutty Sark station will not be extended due to the cost and the risk to nearby historic buildings. Instead, use of Selective Door Operation (SDO) has been approved by the Railway Inspectorate at this station.

Although not on the Bank - Lewisham route, two other stations will be modified to improve operational flexibility. Poplar station will also be lengthened, whilst Tower Gateway is due to be converted from its current two track terminal layout into a single longer platform. However the exact details of the Tower Gateway work are under review..

Langdon Park station

Status - Under Constuction

A planning application for a station at Langdon Park between All Saints and Devons Road has been submitted. The plan envisages the station opening in late 2007.

Stratford International Extension / North London Line conversion

Status - Awaiting Transport & Works Act approval from the Government

This will be an extension from Canning Town to the new Stratford International station, linking the Docklands with domestic and international high-speed services on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Four new stations will be built at Star Lane, Abbey Road, Stratford High Street, and Stratford International, with a possible fifth station between Cody Road and Canning Town. The branch would also serve London Underground and National Rail stations at West Ham and Stratford. All stations will be capable of accommodating three-unit trains.

As part of the TWA application the DLR station at Royal Victoria on the Beckton branch will also be extended to accommodate three-unit trains. Additionally it will have a third platform. The extra platform becomes possible because the part of the North London Line due to be abandoned currently runs parallel to Royal Victoria station.

The extension will largely run over part of an existing railway route currently operated by the North London Line, which would in future terminate at Stratford. The extension is projected to open early in 2010 and is an important part of the transport improvement package for the 2012 Olympic Games, which will be held on a site adjoining Stratford International.

Upgrading other lines to 3-car trains

Status - TWA application being prepared

Once the work to allow 3-car trains on the lines between Bank station and Lewisham station have been completed, the only parts of the network unable to accommodate longer trains will be the routes between Poplar station and Stratford station, and between Poplar and Beckton station. There is therefore a proposal to upgrade the remainder of the line with the aim of carrying out the work between 2008 and 2010.

As part of this work, it is also proposed to enchance the junction north of West India Quay station, which would preclude services on the Bank to Lewisham route from stopping at West India Quay station.

Barking Reach extension

Status - Being planned, Route safeguarded

This is a proposed extension from Gallions Reach to Dagenham Dock via the riverside at Barking. This would connect the Barking Reach area, a formerly industrial area now undergoing major redevelopment, with the Docklands. This includes Creekmouth. A possible opening date according to the DLR website is 2015.

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 located 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 is 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 at least been given provision of a future possible second station on the London City Airport extension. There, it will be a possible interchange with Crossrail. It is to be located 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 in the future. It may be located south of the Connaught Crossing.

Charing Cross extension

Status - Proposed

In February 2006 a proposal to extend the DLR to Charing Cross station (running from either the Bank or Tower Gateway DLR branches) was publicly revealed. The idea, originating from a DLR "Horizon Study", is in very early stages at the moment, but would involve extending the line from 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 located on a spur that branches off the current Jublilee line and they are not now used by passenger trains.

While not specifically confirmed it is implied 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 later incorporated into the abandoned Phase 2 of the 'Fleet Line' (Phase 1 became the original Jubilee Line as existed prior to the Jubilee Line Extension). However they would need some enlargement because DLR gauge is larger than tube gauge and modern safety regulations would almost certainly require a narrow walkway to be provided in the tunnel.

The two reasons reported as driving the proposal were 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.

Works contingent on Crossrail

Status - Proposed

If Crossrail is approved then 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 trans-London Crossrail Line 1 entail interchanges with the DLR at Custom House, Stratford, and the provision for interchanges at West India Quay (with Crossrail station 'Isle of Dogs') and London City Airport (with Crossrail station 'Silvertown').

See also

• Category:Docklands Light Railway stations
• List of rapid transit systems
• Rail transport in the United Kingdom
• UK topics

External links

• Docklands Light Railway website
• Tube Maps (including the DLR routes) on the Transport for London website
• Collection of Google Earth locations of Docklands Light Railway stations (Requires Google Earth software) from the Google Earth Community forum.

West:	Crossings of the River Thames	East:
Greenwich foot tunnel	Lewisham branch, between Island Gardens and Cutty Sark	Jubilee Line between Canary Wharf and North Greenwich
Woolwich foot tunnel	Woolwich branch, between King George V and Woolwich Arsenal (under construction)	Thames Gateway Bridge (planned)