Docklands Light Railway (DLR) completed the DLR London City Airport extension in December 2005. The
extension runs for 4.4 km from Canning Town to North Woolwich, passing through
Silvertown and alongside London City Airport and includes four stations at West
Silvertown, Pontoon Dock, London City Airport and King George V. The extension serves a current residential
population of about 8,000 people (excluding Woolwich Arsenal) as well as
providing a fixed link to London City Airport.
Since opening the new extension, a 3 Year Monitoring study has been conducted
to assess the effect of the DLR extension on the local area.
Use of the extension
Just over 14 million
passengers have used the London City Airport extension since its opening and
with almost 5.1 million passengers per year.
Business and commuting journeys accounted for 63% of journeys since the extension
opened. Half of all journeys occur
during the AM and PM peak periods. Since
the Woolwich Arsenal extension opened, over half (58%) of all journeys involved
an interchange with the Jubilee Line at Canning Town.
Forty five per cent of passengers were undertaking new journeys in year 3 compared
with 43% across the three years of operation.
This increase will be largely due to the new
journey opportunity presented by the opening of Woolwich Arsenal. Since its opening about 90% of passengers
report that the extension has made their journey easier and quicker and more
than 50% report it is cheaper.
Airport journeys
The DLR extension to London
City Airport provides one of the highest mode share for access to airports in
the UK. Before the extension was built,
in 2003 only 31% of airport passengers used public transport to access the
airport. In 2008, 51% of airport
passengers use the DLR to travel to London City Airport. At the same time, private car useage has
dropped from 23% to 14% of journeys to the airport.
The DLR extension also provides access to airport employees, with 21% using the
DLR to travel to work. While most employees
(64%) rely on private car, this proportion is declining - it fell between 2007
and 2008 by 4% while the DLR proportion grew by 3%.
North Woolwich
A survey of residents and businesses in 2006 found
an area with a poor self image, with low expectations for employment or
educational achievement as well as a growing lack of community cohesion. After
three years of operation 90% of residents think that DLR has improved North
Woolwich and 75% felt it had improved things for them personally. Over half of residents feel that North
Woolwich is improving as an area , compared to just 38% of residents in
2006. In 2008 75% of North Woolwich residents
used the extension for leisure trips and about half used the extension for
non-food shopping and commuting to work. Two thirds of North Woolwich residents
reported using DLR more frequently with others continuing their already
substantial level of use.
"It has given me access to a wider range of jobs. It is a good transport system. We are lucky to have it."
"I used it to start going to college."
"I can get to hospital now without my husband driving me there."
"I wouldn't have moved here if DLR hadn't been here."
Equality, inclusion and environment
Supporting growth through carbon dioxide reductions
DLR’s most significant contribution in reducing carbon dioxide is made through providing a less carbon-intensive transport service than alternatives like private cars. With a CO2 emission of 75 grams per passenger-kilometre the DLR is significantly less polluting (27%-40%) than the alternative modes used before the opening of the DLR extension (buses 103 grams/passenger km and private cars 124 grams/passenger km). Using total passenger numbers for each of the first three years of operation for an average journey (6.4 km) it is possible to compare the CO2 emissions from the DLR with the alternatives using the pre-DLR modal split (cars/taxis 68% and buses 31%) In Year Three (2008) the DLR extension is estimated to have emitted 2,440 tonnes of carbon
dioxide, a saving of 1,340 tonnes of carbon dioxide over pre DLR modes of travel which is equivalent to the carbon dioxide produced by 139 UK citizens in one year. The DLR extension resulted in a saving of 3,710 tonnes of carbon dioxide in its first three years of operation which is equivalent to the carbon dioxide produced by 384 UK citizens in one year.
The extension has had a positive impact on equality
and inclusion for residents along the route. Prior to the extension opening journey opportunities for local people
were poor and access to London’s extensive Labour market limited. The area was
served by bus and the North London Line, which was at times unreliable. The
introduction of DLR has provided direct connections with Central London and a
connection to the rest of the DLR network.
The DLR service provides a high frequency service
and provides step free access to trains. This has improved access to the labour
market, as well as increasing the number of leisure trips.