Officially opened by HM The Queen in the summer of 1987 the Docklands Light Railway is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. A much changed network to the original 11 train, 15 stop line the DLR has helped to kick start regeneration in the area as well as providing a vital transport service across London’s Docklands.
To mark the anniversary a 30 things to do by DLR and an easier to read line map have been released. The Destination DLR leaflet – available at http://content.tfl.gov.uk/dlr30-leaflet-and-map.pdf – gives 30 attractions across the line including exploring local history, family days out and food and drink. Meanwhile the new map includes different colours for each line to make it easier to plan your day out in London’s Docklands.
Danny Price, TfL’s Director of the DLR, said: “The DLR has been an integral part of east London for 30 years and we are proud of the contribution it has made. With a growing population, and continuing redevelopment in the area, the importance of good transport links is clear. With improvements such as a new generation of trains from 2022 and initiatives to make our customers’ lives easier, such as the new clearer DLR line map, we will ensure the DLR continues to meet those growing needs. We also want to take the opportunity to celebrate the growing number of top attractions and hidden gems linked by the DLR through our new travel guide.”
Today’s Docklands Light Railway carries 122 million passengers with 45 stations, 38 kilometres of track and 56 mainly three carriage trains (as in three trains running in multiple). In 2022 a new fleet of trains are due to be introduced boosting capacity by 30%.