Docklands Light Railway - Docklands Light Railway Future Developments - F

Docklands Light Railway - F

Docklands Light Railway Future Developments

Docklands Light Railway Thamesmead Extension

Mooted throughout the 2010s, an extension across the River Thames to Thamesmead was first proposed in November 2019 as part of the Thamesmead and Abbey Wood OAPF (Opportunity Area Planning Framework). Technical and feasibility work began in late 2020, following adoption of the OAPF. Stations would be located at Beckton Riverside and Thamesmead.

Docklands Light Railway Thames Wharf Station

As part of the construction of the London City Airport extension, a gap in the viaduct due west of the western end of Royal Victoria Dock, between Canning Town and West Silvertown stations, was passively safeguarded for a future station when development came forward on the brownfield and industrial sites.

A station was also initially proposed at Oriental Road, however this was discounted at an early stage and the site is now flanked by several developments. The potential of development on the land at Thames Wharf was on hold for until the late 2010s, as the area was being safeguarded for the route of the Silvertown Tunnel, a new Thames river crossing currently under construction on the site.

As part of the 2018 budget, the Chancellor announced funding for the DLR to support development in the Royal Docks. Following completion of the Silvertown Tunnel in the mid 2020s, around 5,000 homes will be built on the site, and a new DLR station constructed.

Docklands Light Railway Tower Gateway Station to Tower Hill Interchange

In July 2014, a Transport Supporting Paper from the London Infrastructure Plan 2050 by the Mayor of London considered the closure of Tower Gateway DLR station and the branch serving it, with a replacement interchange being provided via new platforms at Tower Hill Underground station. This would increase train frequencies to Bank by approximately 30 per cent, thereby unlocking more capacity on the Bank branch.

Docklands Light Railway Extensions Cancelled or Not Progressed

Docklands Light Railway Gallions Reach to Dagenham Dock

The extension to Dagenham Dock in East London, via the Barking Riverside development was first proposed in 2003, and was anticipated that the project could be completed and open for use by 2017, at a cost of around £750 million. In November 2008, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced that due to financial constraints the extension, along with a number of other transport projects, had been cancelled. The Barking Riverside development is instead served by an extension of the London Overground to the new Barking Riverside station, which opened in July 2022.

Docklands Light Railway Bank to Charing Cross

In February 2006 a proposal to extend the DLR to Charing Cross station from Bank DLR branch was revealed. The idea originates from a DLR "Horizon Study".

While not confirmed, it is probable that the Charing Cross scheme would use the overrun tunnels between Charing Cross Jubilee platforms and slightly 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 would need enlargement because DLR gauge is larger than tube gauge and current safety regulations would require an emergency walkway in the tunnel.

Two reasons driving the proposal are capacity problems at Bank, having just 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/Ludgate Circus and Aldwych, which was intended for future connection with the proposed but now abandoned Cross River Tram.

Docklands Light Railway City Thameslink to Euston and St Pancras

In 2011, strategy documents proposed a DLR extension to Euston and St Pancras. Transport for London have considered driving a line from City Thameslink via Holborn north to the rail termini. The main benefit of such an extension would be to broaden the available direct transport links to the Canary Wharf site. It would create a new artery in central London and help relieve the Northern and Circle lines and provide another metro line to serve the High Speed line into Euston.

Docklands Light Railway Lewisham to Catford and Beckenham Junction

This possible extension was considered during the latest Horizon Study. The route would follow the Southeastern line and terminate between Catford and Catford Bridge stations. It has been seen as attractive to the district, as has the current terminus at Lewisham, built in an earlier extension. A map published in 2010 by Transport for London suggests that a further extension from Catford to Forest Hill has also been considered.

However, early plans showed problems due to Lewisham station being only marginally lower than the busy A20 road, which impedes any 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 station was built impedes this possible extension and it would prove costly to redevelop.

Docklands Light Railway Lewisham to Bromley North

Another proposal is to Bromley North by taking over the Bromley North Line, a short National Rail branch line which has no direct services into Central London. The scheme being considered by Transport for London and the London Borough of Bromley would convert the branch line to DLR operation. Although Lewisham Council planned to re-route the A20 road and redevelop the area south of Lewisham DLR station, the plans published in 2012 have no safeguarded route for an extension, making one unlikely.

Docklands Light Railway Accidents and Incidents

On 10 March 1987, before the system opened, a test train crashed through buffer stops at the original high-level Island Gardens terminus and was left hanging from the end of the elevated track. The accident has largely been attributed to unauthorised tests being run before the correct installation of the wayside safety system had been verified, an omission in the wayside system allowed the train to travel too fast on the approach to the terminus. The train was being driven manually at the time.

However, inside sources have stated these tests were being done to test the ATP if the train was entering the station too quickly, and after six successful tests, a software issue involving asynchronous computer systems caused the train to not receive the instructions to activate the ATP, cut off power from the motors, and apply the brakes soon enough to prevent the train from slowing down, causing the train to go through the buffers. Following this, the software was reworked and the braking distance was changed to ensure such incidents wouldn't happen in practice, and as a result may have possibly prevented a far more tragic incident from occurring.

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 system and evacuation of passengers by ladder. One train was travelling automatically, the other was under manual control.

On 9 February 1996, the Provisional IRA blew up a lorry under a bridge near South Quay, killing two people and injuring many others. This caused £85 million of damage and marked an end to an IRA ceasefire in force at the time. Significant disruption was caused and a train was stranded at Island Gardens, unable to move until the track was rebuilt.

Docklands Light Railway Overview

Docklands Light Railway Owner: Docklands Light Railway Ltd, part of Transport for London

Docklands Light Railway Area Served: London

Docklands Light Railway Locale: Greater London

Docklands Light Railway Transit Type: Light metro

Docklands Light Railway Number of Lines: 7

Docklands Light Railway Number of Stations: 45

Docklands Light Railway Daily Ridership: 340,000 (daily average, DfT 2017)

Docklands Light Railway Annual Ridership: 92.3 million (2022/23)

Docklands Light Railway Increase: 19.6%

Docklands Light Railway Headquarters: Endeavour Square, E20

Docklands Light Railway Operation:

Began operation 31 August 1987, 36 years ago

Docklands Light Railway Operator(s): KeolisAmey Docklands Limited (Keolis 70%, Amey 30%)

Docklands Light Railway Number of Vehicles: 149

Docklands Light Railway Train Length: 2 or 3 vehicles per trainset

Headway 3–5 minutes

Docklands Light Railway System Length: 38 km (24 mi)

Docklands Light Railway No. of Tracks: 2

Docklands Light Railway Track Gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

Docklands Light Railway Minimum Radius of Curvature: 125 ft (38 m)

Docklands Light Railway Electrification: 750 V DC third rail (bottom contact)

Top Speed:

50 mph (80 km/h) (Maximum Speed Capable)

40 mph (64 km/h) (Regular Operational Speed)

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