So there's a new Tube Map out in London
but not because there's a new Tube station
because because ... there's a new DLR line
taking passengers from Canning Town
up to thw new Stratford International station
we decided to take a ride on the new extension
and obviously I had to start at the station that is my namesake
from here we headed up to Stratford International
stopping first at the now somewhat complicated
Canning Town interchange
just got to Canning Town, and what's confusing is that there's now two platforms
we're up on the upper level platform but we want to be down on the lower level
which will take us into Stratford International
the high level platforms are for trains to and from the city
if you want to use the new branch
you have to get the escalator down to the same level as the Jubilee line trains
and then down again ...
walk under the new extension
and then up the steps to the new platforms
so we're now on Platform 2
which is the Stratford International platform
we were up the top there on the DLR
coming down you can see we're now parallell to the Underground track
so platform 2 runs alongside the Underground
underground trains do indeed run alongside the DLR
in fact, if you were travelling between Canning Town and Stratford
it's simple quicker to take the Jubilee line
surely you'd only take the DLR
if you wanted to stop at one of the new local stations
such as Star Lane ..... oops!
i don't think anyone got on
we carried on, through West Ham and to the next new station
Abbey Road {PA} This is ... Abbey Road
which, has no connection to the Beatles, whatsoever
they should habe made Star Lane, Penny Lane
and all ... all the stations along the line sort of
references, to Beatles song or album title
ooh, one person! on the other platform
where had that solitary passenger come from?
we went outside to have a look around and try and find out
this is Abbey Road!
doesn't seem to be much here except
houses, and what appears to be quite a busy road
we're inbetween West Hame and Stratford High Streets
so there's a map inside that shows
you some bus connections to various
places, Canda Water and surrounding area
it's not a place i have ever been before
and i can't think of anything there that would want me to come
and of course, whilst you're at Abbey Road
the urge to do something silly tends to overwhelm you
if only there was some sort of crossing
maybe we could like an Abbey Road version two
oh i need to take my shoes off though don't I?
we headed back north
through Stratford High Street
just seconds apart from the main Stratford station
which now confusingly, has two different places to catch the DLR from
and then you go through this curving tunnel
underneath the shopping complex and high speed trains above you, until you come to here
Stratford International station
so made it to Stratford International
you've got Stratford International DLR where we've just got off
behind that the buildings you can see here these are all
the athletes village for the Olympics
Olympic Stadium, is just behind that
just a little bit further behind there
behind us here we've got Stratford International train station
where currently ... no international train services run
and then behind that you've got the new Westfield Shopping centre
which will open ... in a few days time!
when Westfield is open, there will be a huge number of passengers here
but none of them will be arriving or departing or any international services
the only trains you can catch here
are the high speed service between St Pancras and Ashford
so Stratford International DLR . . . . . . what's the point?
the point is in that in the same way when earlier DLR stations were built
there was nothing there at the time
but future development meant that stations are now busy
and when the Olympics come along in 2012, it should be a lot busier
so i'd imagine, next year it will be quite a busy station but at the moment
it's very quiet
there's nothing going on here whatsoever, just lots of
people working on the Olympic site
construction workers, using this station
next year though maybe we should come back and see how the footfall has increased
this is Victoria Pipe ...
on the new extension, of the the Docklands Light Railway