DLR Enhancements

[gal06]

Since the DLR opened in 1987, there has been many enhancements, illustrated by the fact that they now currently operate to 39 stations from the origional 15, and many more are on the way.

The system has pushed south from Island Gardens to Lewisham, and east to Beckton in 1994, and King George V via London City Airport. (2005) It will also go further north to Stratford International from 2010.

The project I'm interested in looking at and hope it comes off is the one proposed but not fully decided upton, the extension to Dagenham Dock from the Beckton branch. This would potentially see trains leave onto the new branch once past Gallions Reach stn, and shaddow the A13 into Dagenham.

While the DLR does undoubtedly need a service further east as thats where the developments are currently happening, I'd like to see it pushed out to Rainham, where handy connections would be possible for us Havering residents.

By terminating at Dagenham Dock, you are limiting the connections that can be made for passengers as they will still need to use the c2c line to get into Rainham, so really its not potentially as handy as a Rainham DLR eastbound terminus.

The most ideal terminus would be for the DLR to go to Dagenham Heathway or Dagenham East, where connections would be made with the District Line for Upminster and Hornchurch, but obviously the alignment the DLR is taking from the South Dagenham side would make that virtually impossible as the DLR would have to get across the A13 to join the District line, and connecting a tunnel to do this would cost a fortune and take years to construct.

I just feel that travelling from Beckton, like I do daily, would be made a lot easier if the DLR was going into Rainham, rather than just settling with going into Dagenham Dock as this is the first connection with the c2c rail.

I hope Havering council push for this extension . . .

[hammers]

DLR are now examining the possibility of extending past Dagenham Dock
see for yourself:
thebiggsreport.blogspot.com/2006/11/next-stop-chequers-corner.html

[jrussa]

I am glad that

1.) Extending to Woolwich Arsenal
2.) Extending via Canning Town
3.) Extending to Stratford International

I would love a tram to be in East London

[gal06]

The report attachment is right that Dagenham Dock is in the middle of nowhere, it is a surprise to me that it is still opening because it is in the middle of a motorway and serves very few people.

However, the report to me is a little short-sighted still when it says Dagenham Chequers Corner should be the terminus point. Its true that a station here would be built for people to get connections to Dagenham Heathway, but surely it could continue and terminate in Rainham, which would slide it into the London Borough of Havering as well as Barking & Dagenham.

After Dagenham Dock, have additional stations at Dagenham Chequers, Cherry Tree Lane, Rainham (linked to c2c), and terminate at South Rainham on the opposite side to the current c2c station, where a lot of new housing is going to be built requiring a train service into London.

While its true that in the future an additional extension can be looked at to spin off after the Chequers (on the proposed South Rainham branch) to terminate at Dagenham Heathway to connect to the District Line and c2c Shoeburyness branch. This would then mean a platform could be built at the Heathway for c2c to stop between Barking and Upminster, meaning an inter-changable station in East Essex for the first time. (excluding Barking)

Clearly, the DLR terminating at Dagenham Dock is just a rediculas idea and does not justify the investment being proposed! - Gareth.

[gal06]

Why dont the DLR re-name King George V station North Woolwich? Now that the old Silverlink version has been abandoned, it surely would make more sense to rename the station for the area that it serves. I also have to question the name of one of the other stations on the line - Pontoon Dock. Why was this not named Thames Barrier?

I certainly would be for a North Woolwich station, Of all the docks, King George V was the least known as it sat on North Woolwich and it would be fitting for a modern station to replace and share the name of the station that had served the area since 1847. - Gareth.