Ride the DLR's Newest Line

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The Docklands Light Railway , or DLR for those averse to long-winded names, first cranked into action in east London way back in 1987.

There are now 45 stations along 21 miles of track, with the service handling nearly 70 million passengers a year.

And what makes it unique from Britain's other transportation systems, and popular with children and train enthusiasts alike, is the fact that all the DLR trains are driverless.

That doesn't mean, of course, that the trains hurtle out-of-control along the tracks with no one in the driving seat. You see, there is no driving seat.

All DLR trains are operated by computers. Clever, eh? So sometimes you'll see the aforementioned kids and train enthusiasts sitting at the front, pretending they're driving the train themselves.


The DLR network has gradually expanded over the years, and recently a new section of track opened, going from Stratford International station down to Canning Town.

The three mile extension has resulted in four brand new stations - Stratford International, Abbey Road, West Ham and Star Lane.

A ride on the new line would give you a chance to discover a new part of the capital - one undergoing a lot of change just now, what with the 2012 Olympics fast approaching.


You could even hop off at Stratford or Stratford International and see how the preparations for the Olympics are going.

Trains operate approximately once every ten minutes, from early till late, every day of the week.

%%[Top and bottom images: Transport for London ]
[Middle image: Poudou99 at Wikicommons ]%%

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