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The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light rail public transport system for the redeveloped Docklands area of eastern London. It is administered by Transport for London but operated by Serco; it is not part of the London Underground, but it does appear on the Tube map.
A significant feature of the DLR is that is fully automatically driven and the trains have no driver. However there is a Passenger Service Agent (PSA) on every train, who is responsible for patrolling the train, checking tickets, making announcements and controlling the doors using controls situated at every door. In the event of failure, the PSA is trained to drive the train to the next station using emergency manual controls.
Map
 Geographically accurate map of the Docklands Light Railway Development
 Tower Gateway DLR station 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 original system was entirely above ground and consisted of three branches, with their termini at Tower Gateway, Stratford and Island Gardens DLR station respectively.
Initial discussions revolved around a system system using modern tram derived light rail vehicles, using overhead current collection, manual driving and some elements of street level running. However the LDDC wanted to showcase cutting edge technology and disliked the overhead lines, resulting a segregated, automatically driven system with third-rail current collection, but still using tram derived light rail vehicles. Most of the tracks were elevated, either on new lightweight concrete viaduct structures or on disused rail viaducts, with some use of disused surface level railway right of way. The system was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 31 July 1987.
As opened the system was still very lightweight, with stations and trains only a single articulated vehicle long. The three branches were connected by a flat triangular junction near Poplar, and services were operated between all three terminals.
First extensions
The initial system quickly proved too lightweight for its job, as the Dockland area developed rapidly into a major financial center and employment zone. Additionaly 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, work was planned and undertaken to extend all stations and trains to two car length, and to provide an extension into the heart of the City of London. The latter became a tunnelled extension to Bank underground station which opened in 1991. For practical reasons, this extension diverged from the initial western branch, leaving Tower Gateway station on something of a limb. It also rendered the initial car fleet obsolete, as their construction was not suitable for use underground.
At the same time, the previously unserved areas in the west of the Docklands area were seen to be in need of better transport connections in order 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.
In the same timescales, the development of the Canary Wharf office complex resulted in Canary Wharf DLR station being redeveloped from a small wayside station, to a large complex with 6 platforms serving 3 rail tracks, within a large overall roof and fully integrated into the malls below the office towers.
With Canary Wharf becoming a major financial employment center came demands 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 hence 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.
Current system
Docklands Light Railway train entering Canary Wharf station from the south Four branches currently exist: to Lewisham in the south, Stratford in the north, Beckton in the east and another leading into Central London (splitting to serve two nearby termini, Bank and Tower Gateway). Although the systems allows many different combinations of routings, at present the following three routes are operated in normal service:
- Bank to Lewisham
- Tower Gateway to Beckton
- Stratford to Lewisham
Some trains on the Stratford line turn back at Crossharbour and London Arena rather than continuing to Lewisham.
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.
There are no limited-stop trains on the DLR, so each train serves every stop along its route.
Future developments
With the rapid development of the eastern Docklands as part of the "Thames Gateway" initiative, and London's current bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, no fewer than four extensions are either under construction or being planned.
- A new eastbound branch from Canning Town to North Woolwich, which will serve London City Airport, is under construction. This will run along the southern side of the Royal Docks complex (the Beckton branch runs along the north side). The extension is projected to open in late 2005.
- A further extension from North Woolwich to Woolwich Arsenal, requiring a second DLR tunnel under the River Thames. Approval and funding for this latter extension was given by the Government on 26 February 2004, with the projected cost of £150 million expected to be met through the Private Finance Initiative. Construction is projected to begin in 2005.
- An extension from Canning Town to the new Stratford International station, linking the Docklands with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Four new stations will be built at Cody Road, Abbey Road, Stratford Market and Stratford International, with a possible fifth station between Cody Road and Canning Town under consideration. The extension will largely run over existing track currently operated by the North London Line, which would in future terminate at Stratford. The extension is projected to open in 2008 at the earliest and is an important part of the transport improvement package required if the Olympic Games are to be held on a site adjoining Stratford International.
- An 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. The extension would open in 2011 at the earliest.
Besides these extensions, plans are also under way to upgrade the line between Bank and Lewisham to allow the use of three car trains. Besides the lengthening of platforms, this will also require viaduct strengthening works, as most of this section dates from the initial system originally built for single car operation.
Current projections for the trans-London Crossrail line entail interchanges with the DLR at Custom House and Stratford.
Rolling stock
 DLR train headed by B2K stock car 96 at Tower Gateway station The DLR is operated by high-floor, double-ended, single-articulated cars with four doors on each side, with each train composed of two such cars. Despite being high-platform and highly automated, the cars are derived from a German light rail design intended for use in systems with elements of street running. As befits a fully automated system, the cars have no drivers cab, although there is a small driver's console concealed behind a locked panel at each car end. Because of the absence of a drivers cab, the fully glazed car ends provide an excellent forward view for passengers.
All the cars that have operated on the system are superficially very similar, but in fact their have been five seperate types, of which three are still in operation on the DLR.
The original fleet for the 1987 opening consisted of eleven LRVs 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 designed and built for the above ground initial system and, because of the lack of appropriate fire-proofing, were not allowed to operate the subsequent tunnelled extension to Bank. Because of this, and because adaptation to a new signalling system was deemed 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.
Further vehicles were required as the network continued to grow 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 at the time of writing (2004).
The current DLR fleet (at the end of 2004) thus consists of:
All DLR cars carried a common livery of red, blue and white upon delivery. Over the years, several vehicles have carried allover advertising liveries, while a new livery of turquoise and blue was trialled on B92 car 45 in the mid-1990s. This was not adpoted 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 white doors.
Fares and ticketing
Ticketing for single and return journeys is identical to the London Underground zonal fares 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' rickets available, plus a one-day DLR "Rail and River Rover" ticket for use on the DLR and on City Cruises river boats (see the DLR website for details). 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 must purchased from ticket machines located at the entrance to the platforms, and in theory are required before the passenger enters the platform. However there are no barriers, 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.
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. However all stations are accessible by wheelchair, usually by the use of lifts or elevators. The stations have high platforms, matching the floor height of the cars, and allowing wheelchair and buggy access to the trains.
Most of the stations conform to a simple modular design dating back to the initial system, albeit extended. This design has two side plaftorms, 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
Stations on north to south branches
External links
See also
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