If you’re ever walking through the streets of eastern London, and you spot a futuristic looking train with no driver at the controls, don’t worry, it’s not a ghost train or a runaway! It’s the Docklands Light Railway, or DLR for short. Opened in 1987, this light rail system was built to provide transportation to the Docklands area of eastern London, which got its name from the numerous shipyards on the Thames river. Prior to the opening of the system, the area was mainly a shipyard, at one time, it was the world’s largest shipyard. Over the years, competing shipyards in other cities, hard economic times, and war took its toll on the Docklands. There was a need to provide ample transportation to the former docks area to stimulate economic regeneration. The new railway paved the way for several Underground subway extensions, new housing, and new attractions to the area.
The DLR map vaguely resembles a compass; with one spur heading north, south, east, and west. The shape almost resembles the Atlanta subway, or the MARTA. Oyster cards are transferable between the Underground and the DLR, and passengers heading to London City Airport can ride the DLR to the domestic airport. Once more, the DLR is clean, fast, and runs rather quietly. It is an exceptional form of transportation, and not to mention state of the art with its computer controlled trains.
