UK: London’s Docklands Light Railway introduced three-car operation on its Bank – Woolwich Arsenal route with effect from January 30, adding capacity for an extra 1 500 passengers/h ahead of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
This means all DLR routes are now worked with three-car trains during the morning peak periods, apart from the orbital Stratford – Canary Wharf and Stratford International – Woolwich Arsenal routes.
DLR also stepped up evening peak frequencies across its entire network, moving from 9 min to 8 min headways to match the morning service. This will enable it to carry 4 000 extra passengers/h during the 3 h period.
Bank – Woolwich trains will run every 8 min, interspersed with Stratford International – Woolwich trains to provide a 4 min headway on the branch from Canning Town. The Tower Gateway – Beckton service will also run every 8 min, whilst headways on the busiest route from Bank to Lewisham route will be cut from every 4½ min to every 4 min.
DLR Director Jonathan Fox said the three-car trains would provide the Woolwich line with ‘50 per cent more capacity direct to the City of London’. The other changes put DLR ‘in an excellent position ready to step up and meet the challenge of the 2012 Games. The extra capacity enables us to test our capability between now and July, so the network will be poised ready to deliver trains when and where they are needed during the events.’
