Looks like the DLR is finally going to Thamesmead

I know, this is like two weeks late, it's been a busy fortnight. I blame the Overground.

[shdowchasr]

I suspect Thamesmead residents are more likely to be saying "I'll beleive it when I see it".

[Ice_Karma]

It seems a very British thing, coming up with a great idea, making a plan, starting construction, deciding it's too expensive, cutting it back to the bone, and ending up with a travesty. 😿

[CharlesTysonYerkesOfficial]

TFL really should've hired me, I would've got it done decades, if not centuries, earlier.

[arthurfarrow]

When our daughter was a student at London Uni in the Eighties, 'hard to let' flats in Thamesmead were offered to them. She said there were few takers, as the flats were in poor condition and it took hours to get into Central London. No wonder they made part of a Clockwork Orange there

[johnmurray]

Thank you for an informative video.

My humble opinion from a city (Ottawa) that was bus centric for 50 years, go with the DLR option. Politicians promise the earth with “new bus routes etc!” The day after it is all canned. Once they start digging and laying track they cannot back out.

Best wishes to Thamesmead, they obviously need. Something good. I hope they get it and not buses.

[AFCManUk]

Well, now that one side of the Chiltern Tunnel is complete, there's a spare tunnel boring machine available. . .

[DanQuine]

Beckton Gas Works has a very interesting history, and had an extensive railway system. They had some wonderful steam locomotives that were extremely low height to fit under the retorts; two of them have been preserved The gas works railway would make a good subject for a future video.

[tomwatts]

I'm not even a Londoner and I celebrated internally seeing that video title. Good public transport links (particularly rail ones) are sorely needed right now.

[mattevans]

Looking at the map, and realising this is the penny pinching British Government we are talking about, I wouldn't be surprised if they just used a ferry, to ship people across the river, and improved the buses purely to connect to Abbey Road.

[westy]

extremely shortsighted to not build Barking Riverside more at a ground level; it would be a lot more useful to extend the goblin than the DLR extension - essentially a railway for a Thames gateway bridge, which is very useful and opens up many new connections.

[deadwing]

The DLR option isn't going to be working well, unless it goes all the way to Abbey Wood. First of all, there would be too many riders towards the city, while if it would connect to Abbey Wood, Thamesmead customers could travel either way. Second, if I'd be a Thamesmead resident, I wouldn't want to choo choo all the way to Bank on the DLR, while Abbey Wood has the Lizzie line, which is 86 times faster than the whacky-bumpy DLR. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the DLR, but in this context, I WOULD just take the bus anyway to Abbey Wood.)
Moreover, not having enough space for the Overground to go into a tunnel sounds like an excuse. Just look up the Yurikamome in Tokyo, and you will see what I mean.
Anyway, the DLR still sounds like the better option, but it *must* go all the way to Abbey Wood.

[davidcronan]

I would have thought that a high bridge might have got in the way of planes landing and taking off from London City Airport.

[josephbille-volkenborn]

Love your videos! Perhaps "tunnel to my tram" was not the best choice of words?😮

[spitfire]

On a side note. I was listening to Absolute radio today and one of their listeners got a chance to visit Down Street underground station. While they were down there, they had a little quiz and I knew all the answers from watching this great channel.

[CharlieFlemingOriginal]

2:25 I think a whimsical way to cross the river is the DLR train gets to the river and huge inflatable bags turn the train into a boat and it swims across the Thames with all passengers informed of lifebelts under the seats... anyone standing told to squeeze between the accordion squishy bit between the carriages that will turn into a life boat... the DLR reaching land, turns back into a train. SIMPLE IDEA :)

[esmeephillips]

Stanley Kubrick: 'Hey, guys, I don't like flying. From now on I will be working in Britain. So does anyone know of a Limey location that could look like a dystopian urban hellscape of the near future? Kinda modern, yet already falling apart, and cut off from everything civilized?'

[markdurdle]

As much as I would like the becton branch, as I live in the area. I am not sure how useful it will be to people south of the river. As I suspect it may still be quicker to get bus and then Elizabeth line if travelling into london. The woolwich extension sounds better.

[GojiMet]

In hindsight, I'd say the DLR platforms should have been built for longer consists. With the amount of branches and future extensions, ridership is one day gonna be more than what the current DLR can provide.

[iankemp]

I was surprised too that it's going from the Beckton line rather than Woolwich, but serving both developments makes sense. As often happens, the DLR seems to be the most cost-effective solution, and hopefully quick to build as they have a good track record (!) with the Greenwich and Woolwich tunnels. Will it surface in Thamesmead? Can there be multiple stations, and maybe end up with a connection at Abbey Wood? Developers certainly seem to be the way to get money for improvements - Battersea Power Station Station (x n), Barking Riverside, Meridian Water. And they do now seem to have to provide the infrastructure before the houses are completed, unlike Thamesmead and various other past projects ...

[khidorahian]

Honestly, maybe a loop around back to Woolwich Arsenal via Abbey wood would be a good idea.