Docklands light railway

Docklands Light Railway Information

The Docklands Light Railway or DLR is a rapid transit / light metro system serving the Docklands area of London. The system opened on 31 August 1987 and currently has 7 lines serving 45 stations. This 34km network is jointly owned and operated by Keolis-Amey Docklands Ltd. This automated system, which operates with minimal staffing, carried almost 110 million passengers in the 2014 financial year. The system is currently being expanded and there are several further expansion plans for the future.

Docklands Light Railway Map

Map of ocklands Light Railway showing different lines and stations. Click on the map to enlarge it.

Docklands Light Railway Timings and Schedule

The DLR service starts at 5:30am and runs until 12:30am from Monday to Saturday. On Sundays the service starts a little later at 7:00 and runs until 23:30. Trains run every 3.5 minutes at peak times and every 5-10 minutes at off-peak times and weekends.

Dockland Light Railway Fare, Tickets and Cards

Passengers have many options when it comes to the different types of tickets available. You can use Oyster cards or contactless cards, a paper ticket or a day pass, there are all sorts of ways to pay.

The fare system is zone-based and the Underground passes through nine of these zones. The most widely used is the Oyster card, which can also be used on buses, trams, DLR and most national rail services. It is a plastic smart card that stores credit. There are 7-day, monthly and longer travel cards that can be added to the Oyster card. The Oyster card also entitles travellers to peak and off-peak fares. For students there is an 18+ Student Oyster Card which offers a 30% discount on 7-day, monthly and longer travelcards. Children aged 5-10 travel free. Children aged 11-15 and 16+ are charged the children’s fare.

In addition to the Oyster Card, single and return paper tickets are also available. These can be purchased at ticket offices or from ticket machines. You can also buy a Day Travelcard, which is also a paper ticket and allows unlimited travel in one day. These can be bought for different zones. Depending on the time of day passengers want to travel, Anytime Day Travelcards and Off-peak Day Travelcards can be purchased.Group Day Tickets can also be purchased for a group of 10 or more people.

For more information on fares, tickets and cards, you can visit the official website.

Docklands Light Railway Lines

The rapid/light metro system currently operates on 7 lines, serving a total of 45 stations. These lines run between:

• Bank to Lewisham
• Bank to Woolwich Arsenal
• Stratford to Canary Wharf (extended to Lewisham in the morning peak from Monday to Friday)
• Stratford International to Beckton
• Stratford International to Woolwich Arsenal
• Tower Gateway to Beckton

Dockland Light Railway Parking

The Dockland Light Railway offers park and ride facilities for passengers along the route. Local park and ride spaces are available at various stops.

Dockland Light Railway Rules and Tips

Bicycles are allowed on the Metro network during non-peak hours, i.e. before 07:30 in the morning, between 09:30-16:00 and after 19:00. There are no such restrictions on weekends and other public holidays. However, for security reasons, bicycles are not allowed in the Bank Station.
Folding bicycles have no such restrictions as to time of day or day of the week, they can be taken every day.

Smoking and drinking are prohibited in stations and on trains. Travelling without a valid ticket is punishable by an £80 fine. Ticket inspectors with Oyster card readers patrol the stations and underground.

Important Stations of Docklands Light Railway

• Tube Station near Greenwich University
• Tube Station near Greenwich Park.