It’s five years since I first got involved with the team at Transport for London tasked with thinking about how the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) would meet demand in 2012 if the London bid was successful. The team was headed by Hugh Sumner, now Director of Transport for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA).

Standing next to a DLR train:



My role was to develop initiatives that would help carry the millions of spectators to and from the four Games competition venues that are situated near the DLR network: the Olympic Park, the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, Greenwich Park and the ExCeL centre. These initiatives were in addition to the schemes already planned or funded through the £10bn five-year TfL Investment Programme, such as extensions to Woolwich Arsenal (opening in 2009) and Stratford International (opening in 2010), and the lengthening of DLR trains from two to three carriages across the network by 2010.

Following the success of the London 2012 bid the ODA is now funding a number of initiatives, including platform extensions at Blackwall and East India, as well as improvements to one of our major junctions at Royal Mint Street, near Tower Gateway station. A contribution is also being provided towards our extension to Stratford International, which will serve the Olympic Park.

We are also starting to get into the detailed planning of train services during the Games, with the help of our train operator.

The fact that all of these schemes are set to open well before the Games, combined with new developments in the Royal Docks, Isle of Dogs, the City, Olympic Park and Stratford City, means that DLR will be carrying 100 million passengers per year by 2012... not bad for a 'light railway'! The DLR currently carries around 250,000 passengers a day, but during the Games the network will carry over half a million passengers each day, easily breaking our record of 280,000 - a significant challenge!

One of the new three-car DLR trains:



The most exciting thing to happen to date on our preparations for the Games is the delivery of the first three of 55 new railcars. The railcars were purchased in two batches. The first (ordered in 2005) are required for our Woolwich Arsenal extension and three-carriage service between Bank and Lewisham. The second (ordered in 2006) will be used for the Stratford International extension and to boost the DLR fleet for the demands of the Games.

The ODA is part-funding 22 of the 55 cars that are starting to arrive. It is particularly satisfying for me to see the first few going through their tests on our network as I helped negotiate the contract with the manufacturer.

The DLR and all of London’s public transport face a fascinating and unique challenge in the run up to 2012 - we are currently on track with our preparations and looking forward to the next four years!