[PRCo] Re: The Rest of the World -Electric Rails - Britain

[Derrick Brashear]

> LONDON'S DOCKLAND'S LIGHT RAIL, NOT A PART OF THE UNDERGROUND, WAS CREATED TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO THE EAST INDIA DOCKS IN AN ATTEMPT TO HELP REVITALIZE THE AREA AFTER CONTAINERIZATION SPELLED THE END OF THEIR ORIGINAL PURPOSE OF THE DOCKS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE THAMES RIVER.   The first two lines from Bank Street and Tower Bridge to Isle of Dogs and from Stratford in East London southward to Isle of Dogs opened in 1987 using totally automated trains.   An extension eastward to Canningtown opened in 1994, one under the Thames to Greenwich and Lewisham saw service in 1996, three more extensions have opened by 2009 and another will open next year.   Docklands is now transporting over 69 million riders a year which they modestly say exceeds 100,000 a day ... weekdays probably exceed 215,000.   You will notice that those short two-section articulated trains of 1987 are past tense!    If you go to visit the Tower of London or Tower Bridge ... sneak away and look at this.  !

Not only are they past tense, the equipment was sold when the tunnel
to Bank was built, apparently.

I rode it just over a week ago, from Bank to Lewisham. Seems more akin
to the airport people movers than to most light rail.




-- 
Derrick