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Docklands Light Railway Extension to London City Airport
DLR's Chairman, Ian Brown, and General Manager, Howard Smith,
look at the route the extension will take
Work has begun on a new extension of the
Docklands Light Railway to London City Airport. The 4.4 km
extension will run from Canning Town to the airport and on
to North Woolwich via four new stations, and is expected to
be completed late in 2005. Bob Kiley, London’s Transport Commissioner,
set work on the extension underway at a groundbreaking ceremony
at Pontoon Dock on 4 March.
The total value of the project is around £300m of which £140m
covers construction over the next three years with the remainder
covering maintenance, interest costs and profit over the following
27 years. Government Office for London helped to ensure resources
were available for 2003/2004 for a prompt start to the project.
DLR opened in 1987 as a £77m railway. It began with an 11 vehicle
fleet, and served just 15 stations. It is now a £1bn, 26 kilometre
network with 34 stations and 94 vehicles. Since DLR opened, it has
been extended three times – to Bank in 1991; to Beckton in 1994;
and to Greenwich and Lewisham in 1999.
The work on the City Airport extension is
the latest in a string of recent developments on the railway:
DLR’s new contemporary designed station at Heron Quays
opened on 18 December 2002.
A Transport and Works Act application was made in July
2002 for powers to build a further extension from King George
V Dock, under the Thames, to Woolwich Arsenal.
On 29 January DLR announced plans for an extension to
Dagenham Dock via Barking Reach, identified by Mayor of
London as an area of the Thames Gateway ready for major
regeneration.
DLR’s franchise operator, Serco Docklands Ltd, continually
achieves 97% reliability and has twice been named Rail Operator
of the Year in National Rail Awards.
Further Information
For more information about the Docklands Light Railway Extension
please contact Julia Bonde at jbonde.gol@go-regions.gov.uk
