Secrets of the DLR

Continuing our 'Secrets' series, we've done all the tube lines now but there's still the Docklands Light Railway! So Geoff Marshall gives us a whistle-stop tour of the curiosities to be found on London's DLR.
Geoff has also made "More Secrets of the DLR" follow up Video! That's here: • More Secrets of the DLR

[@XFXRyan99QPR]

When i was like 7, I sat on the front of the DLR and a worker opened the control box and let me open and close the doors at the station. 10 years and I still remember it.

[@rookaloot4736]

You had a good childhood

[@pwrcaelenx]

Perfect childhood, I’m commenting this as of August 2023 ,16 years old, technically in some situations I’m no longer considered a child

[@konyctg]

@@pwrcaelenxhow did you do in your GCSE

[@ROTREV]

So now you are 23???

[@colonelWalakiraii]

@@ROTREVnah 24

[@jimmeade2976]

I was a member of the engineering team that built the original DLR. There's an interesting story about the DLR front seat. When the DLR was officially opened in mid-1987, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip boarded a train at the original Island Gardens station and rode in the front seat to the Operations and Maintenance Centre at Poplar, where the opening ceremonies were being held. As the train pulled into Poplar station, one of the Queen's security guards opened one of the train's doors before it came to a full stop. This caused the train's emergency track brakes to activate, and the Queen and Prince were jostled a bit forward in their seats. Fortunately, they did not strike the windscreen.

[@ILiKeLmAo]

do you know what the DLR trains are made of - metal wise?

[@LouisOnAir]

I once got a DLR front seat, I guess now my life is complete.

[@ZLDSmogless]

I was once in the front seat but 3 stops later a woman came along to my side of the front and said to me "Sorry I have to operate the train from here" I have never been able to get the front seat since

[@thesalandarian3314]

ZLD Smogless :(

[@southern.spotter]

ZLD Smogless same as me, and I wanted to visual it

[@bobmiah]

ZLD Smogless was she lying or was she an actual worker who needed to do something (i know the dlr is automatic)

[@mariamwoleyi8760]

I got the front seat until Limehouse

[@user-ky6vw5up9m]

The DLR has an “upside-down” traction-current-rail / train-shoe interface which gives it greater resilience to winter icing-up than the traditional U.K. third rail system.

[@jamestoyn9755]

I remember watching Geoffrey Marshall on the tube programme back in 2003 episode 24 hours which was the world record for travelling on all the underground line and to all 250 stations I will never forget that episode.

[@railotaku]

City Airport shuts on a Saturday afternoon to give the locals a break from the noise

[@lucasrundhovde2544]

Geoff Marshall

[@draftsmann]

As an Anglo-Maltese mongrel I divide my time between London and Malta. Woolwich Arsenal is my local station... where the terrazzo floor tiles on the DLR platforms and walkways were made, wait for it, in Malta. By a company called Hal Mann. Kind of nice to have a bit of home from home.

[@billythekid8910]

The DLR has turned 30 Years Old It has linked East London for that long and I think its a very reliable light metro railway My regular DLR journey is form Langdon Park to Stratford

[@ednuttah]

You never fail to fascinate me Mr Marshall, just when I think the DLR HAS no secrets you explain them all, by the way 4:50 you big kid! hahahe! Love it, keep them coming I can't get enough of these Railway videos!

[@PisauraXTX]

I once rode a DLR train, but not in London. They had to sell a bunch of their old rolling stock to Essen Stadtbahn in Germany when they added the tunnel section back in the eighties.

[@chriswood642]

thanks Geoff, appreciate your work as always :)

[@ben.x]

Great video! Can't wait for the London Overground Secrets!

[@harrymiles2652]

I hope Geoff will tell me some interesting things about Honor Oak Park station (It's my local station).

[@aaravsgaming337]

.

[@aaravsgaming337]

He did

[@edp6000]

You just know at some point there's going to be a major fight over who gets the front seat of the train.

[@shadowfan982]

I managed to get the front seat as a child once

[@buksi6342]

Shadow Fan every time i was on the DLR, i got the front seat. Once a whining kid came and told me to give him teh seat. I did not give it up for him.

[@SRBAnimate]

Weird flex but ok

[@YukiGersaniba]

Guess I am a child

[@danbotten5602]

@@buksi6342 that kid deserved it . they will have to wait

[@nickytanner]

Great T shirt, now it's time to buy an orange one Geoff!!!!!

[@jacklong1844]

***** yeah wear it for the secrets of the overground

[@1974cfjl]

Most of the original 1987 section of the D.L.R was built on the old London & Blackwall railway (1840 - 1926).

[@ianmoseley9910]

1974cfjl Which was apparently cable drawn for part of the distance at one time

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

Really enjoying these London videos! 😁👍

[@pavarottiaardvark3431]

When I was a kid I was on the DLR (1998?) and I swear there were little toy steering wheels at the front to play with

[@RyutoOfficialYT]

Ending = My Childhood xD

[@AtheistOrphan]

+jeffrey2014 - The DLR has always been driverless. Look it up

[@petercdowney]

I'm 19 years old and even at this age I still like to sit right at the front when I take the DLR. Is this worrying?

[@KlausKokholmPetersen]

I'll never grow too old to sit in the 'drivers seat' on an automated train! It's the greatest feature of the DLR!!!!!

[@dx_ream9277]

CHANNEL SHUT DOWN More like EveryAgeHood

[@bn56would]

@@petercdowney Nah even Geoff likes it and he's an adult

[@Ibis117]

I have caught a train to Bank from Platform 3 at Mudchute. Only once, in 15 years, but it has happened. Granted, there was a failed train on Platform 2, but still.

[@AndrewTiffin]

I noticed the first letter in each caption would make Docklands

[@quarantinecompute]

Geoff is clever like that sometimes

[@smyalygames]

Do Secrets of Crossrail when it will be released to the public!

[@1monthgamer308]

you predicted the future

[@gabri_maybe]

Release time:NEVER Just Like BER

[@TheUnknown313]

4:46 Oh yes!! The first time I went on the DLR, I was thinking "where's the driver?" Until it pulled off by itself lol. Love the front seat

[@edwardmiessner6502]

Largest all-automatic urban railway! Here in the US ours are small railways called "people movers" and they are usually at airports. Our largest is the Downtown People Mover in Miami.

[@esftracksydeomg]

I've actually used Platform 1 at Mudchute before, there have sometimes been trains that terminate right then and there since passenger demand for the DLR drops off after Mudchute so they operate fewer trains there

[@adamhmobile2911]

I know you're the Londonist and all. But as a special episode I think it'd be awesome if you did an episode on the Hamburg U-Bahn or S-Bahn

[@Londonistvids]

As you've correctly stated, Londonist is a website/channel about things in London!

[@SimonS44]

Adam Hmobile a video on the old demolished Rothenburgsort line would be interesting

[@assiadjellali618]

Syed Newaz 6

[@nd2560]

i agree nikolay

[@nvyglazov]

sorry, that comment done by my son (3 years old). he loves your video series.

[@Spaceqowboy]

Hahaha, sit in the front seat, thats what I always tried when getting on at London City Airport. Ride it quite a few times towards the City :)

[@cr-yi7ep]

That cool front seat also exists on Ligne 1 of the Paris Metro. Not so much a front seat as such, there are seats on each side right up to the front window. You get a great view down the line ahead. Specially interesting coming in to Bastille station, the train turns a sharp curve and suddenly you're in a station on a bridge over a canal basin.

[@user-ky6vw5up9m]

The DLR is much less likely to fail to during winter weather with ice and snow. Reason is that unlike other London railways (third and fourth rail systems) the sliding puck-up shoe on the DLR train is upside down facing upwards and makes contact with the UNDERSIDE of the traction current rail which is less likely to be iced up.

[@Sophiebryson510]

I like the design of the dlr and the jubilee line extension

[@codelyokofanful]

the front seat of the dlr is very common in singapore and we always have to compete with the train staff for it but except that there is no seat

[@keithrussell9662]

another thing that is a secret about the DLR that the onboard train assistant are called the train captain not guards or conductors. these trains are driven on the left hand side so snagging the front left seat is the best seat on the train. I sat on that seat on Sunday after taking a sunset flight on the emirates air line.

[@C86-x5r]

Just around the back of Tower Gateway : station there’s the remnants of Minories station depot which was the Western Terminus of the London and Blackwell railway, it’s been shut since the 1950s.

[@KarlBlackOfDublin]

The first Island Garden station was on the site across the road from the viaduct, on the site that now has apartments. Not on the viaduct itself.

[@daniellewis9006]

On the scene where it has the beatles song titles on the poster. I dont know if they realise that one song is not highlighted. Where it says "Unfortunatley you are at the wrong Abbey Road, however WE CAN WORK IT OUT and HELP you get back to the correct location". Now the words get back in the sentence is another song title and thats the only one on that poster which has not been highlighted. Maybe you should mention that to them Geoff.

[@striderpaul]

Another brilliant video.

[@IndigoBass]

I heard about this ‘sitting at the front of the train’ on the DLR so last week on my first visit to the DLR I walked right to the front of the train and sat down, only for a driver standing behind to shout at me and say “what’re you doing?!” 🤣 Did I do something wrong?!

[@andrewrobotbuilder]

Last time I was in London, I took the DLR from Greenwich. After not finding a ticket machine and having no means of contactless payment (or any idea it was accepted), I just got on, with the intention of getting a ticket on the way back I got a telling-off from my more London- and tube-savvy friend about getting a fine that day XD the more you know

[@fuzzysstuff9888]

We also didn’t know and tapped in at Poplar

[@real10g]

Londist,can you do a story of the London Underground "East London Line"

[@SimonS44]

This video would have been even better if you had gone to Essen, Germany and showed some of the old P86 and P89 stock trains running there as streetcars. In the beginning they used to ride with the old DLR livery but now they are all yellow :/

[@ianmcclavin]

SimonHellinger I've been to Essen and ridden one of the old P.86 units. (I may well have ridden on the same train in London!!). It was still in DLR livery at the time, though I did see some P.89 units already painted yellow.

[@trainspotter930]

I get what you did at 2:30. You said a u-turn and you did a u-turn

[@harrytrainspotter1177]

I have been to London and went on the DLR

[@m2mm4m]

I remember going DLR when it first started (with my mum), (for a ride around to see what it was like) sadly the welcome pack were not available at the time. :-P BUT we did get to see behind the panels £-D - never seen so many relays switches in one at that time! And they seem to sound alot louder without the covers over them. The attendant (well driver) was controlling the train, as it was still 'under test condition' and calibration etc. You should of seen and heard it when going round bends!!! (anyone else member this?) Nowadays it really smooth and quite. :-(

[@whome1968]

m2mm4m plus trains use to run every 20 mins or so

[@ObsessedwithTrains]

Is the DLR air conditioned?

[@piewstew22]

Probably not

[@emmapaignton4765]

Canning town great view of the DLR and jubilee line

[@oliviamm6340]

DLR is my favourite train line Ever

[@travellingthechilternmainl3379]

Another great video Geoff!

[@jpbdude4223]

4:06 Who thought the name was Don't Snigger? EDIT: Useless question

[@alexleo172]

*B A L L S P O N D*

[@matthewdavidcole]

Funny thing is platform 3 at Mudchute has been used for passenger services in the past. Just not very often. Also London City Airport is the only station with a ticket office which is correct in the sense its run by DLR. Stratford, Bank and Canning Town all have ticket offices but are run by LUL

[@andrewholloway231]

Great video once again. I enjoyed this one.

[@ellenkingsley]

I've only been on the DLR twice now after seeing this video I'm gonna use it more

[@perthsaint66]

As you don't have to touch in on the DLR at london City and also in your previous video, Secrets of the Victoria Line at Finsbury Park there are no Oyster Barriers means technically you could walk on at City and off at finsbury for a free journey without having to barrier hop as long as you didn't get your card scanned by a person of course.

[@geezerbutler4582]

Platform 3 at Mudchute now has a service to Stratford. Also used as a siding for faulty trains.

[@maritime_history1912]

Went on the DLR today and my dreams came true...

[@davidx4591]

Geoff, could you do a video about all the train depots?

[@Networker4659]

Island garden is not the only resited station,if your heading west from westferry of East from Linehouse,look out for this old viaduct which links the DLR to the national rail so instead of going to poplar to stratford,people or trains would take that viaduct As seen on Google maps

[@dansmith4601]

The situation at limehouse is counterintuitive because you have to get a train there and then a c2c and then you will probably have to get on the tube or a bus from fencurch street

[@carolinabernales7087]

0:19 Class 357

[@chiarasperoni137]

never on the left side when at the front. When the driver actually comes you have to leave the place. Choose the right one :)

[@MarcKloos]

@2:57 they forgot to highlight "get back" !

[@ixlnxs]

I noticed that too. Wanted to write it in a comment but decided to see if someone else beat me to it. Proficiat Marc!

[@paulinacyganek7440]

My thoughts exactly

[@lorrainepickering1288]

DLR has a great line

[@SomeBritishGal1]

I love how they had to build two stations at Canary Wharf and Heron Quays, it literally takes about 30 seconds to get to Heron Quays from Canary Wharf, believe me, I've been on the train that goes on that section.

[@jamesbrown-gg7dd]

+SmashBrosGuys2933 the box in which they built canary wharf station is bigger than the titanic

[@farrenrobberts212]

Look, we all been on that section

[@stephenreardon2698]

The reason West India Quay, Canary Wharf and Heron Quay are so close together is that the latter two were originally on isolated quays when the railway was planned. Each quay was supposed to be for relatively low volumes of housing, with the only vehicular access being at their far west end. However by the time the line was ready to open the initial idea for Canary Wharf had changed and a much larger office development emerged, hence Canary wharf opening later than the rest of the original railway

[@burgerman2337]

Brilliant video! :D thank you

[@jntrains4526]

it is so cool when you are at the back

[@faizanzayansworld6314]

😯 awesome

[@ХунгНгуен-й8ц]

Unbelievable secret!

[@jonathanbrett-warren2031]

This is awesome!

[@hermelien1ify]

That last one is one for my friend there was an old tram he was in the back pretending he was driving it and nearly steped on the bell mutiple times

[@theukbowlertrainspotter]

thanks geoff for this dlr video also when you said that its quicker to change at heron quays for the jubilee line i definetly agree coz last time when i was in london i got off at canary wharf and i realised i could of got off at heron quays instead to change for the jubilee line

[@UnseenSpirit]

It's quicker for sure. Perhaps a minute or so. I am a security officer for canary wharf and I agree

[@junaidahmad8581]

When I was a kid, one of the DLR operator was manually controlling the train and he let me have a go.

[@user-ky6vw5up9m]

DLR is good for taking visitors to London on

[@reponahmed6335]

I saw a DLR train terminates at Mudcute

[@ThatGirlEmi]

The third platform at Mudchute has been used a handful of times

[@Paul-ob1lc]

There is also a ticket office in Cutty Sark DLR Greenwich.

[@eastlancsesteem]

I would extend the DLR further into Central London via Ludgate Circus, Aldwych, Charing Cross, Green Park and Victoria.

[@Dovietail]

Front seat! We're on the ride!

[@steveehrenberger2554]

Once I actually had a flight from London City Airport to Frankfurt (was going on to Vienna from there). So actually I took the DLR to get there. I was so excited to fly from LCA... but then the flight was cancelled, a taxi took us to Heathrow and I had a direct flight to Vienna :( Still dissapointed... so far I have flown from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stanstead.

[@senolhasan1304]

Hey Geoff Perhaps you can make the secrets of the stanted express that goes to the airport I am a huge fan of your videos 👍🏻🇬🇧

[@DingeZZ]

Last week I saw a train parked at platform 3 at Mudchute. It was not in service, but confusingly the displays said 'Lewisham' and Lewisham isn't even reachable from platform 3.

[@jackguerra1716]

Secrets of the London Overground Plus you can do river and tramlink

[@ianinvancouverbc]

at 0.25 I had to replay because I thought it actually said "Minorities" entrance

[@charlesmartin623]

Dockland Light Railway, 1986 or 1996 I forget. I sat in the front on the right. A steel box at the front so a Fair Ticket Inspector could drive the driverless train.

[@PartiallyGeorge]

You missed a spot though - West India Quay station which is not served by southbound Bank to Lewisham trains but served by northbound Lewisham to Bank trains - almost like Mirabeau station of Paris Metro.

[@Nice_Person7379]

Why are some dlr trains with 3 cars and some with 2 cars?

[@mrkipling2201]

I’ve seen a train on platform 3 at mudchute station!!

[@MegKBaker]

I don't know why but the DLR is my favourite maybe it's due too getting that front seat

[@mississaugaicedogs]

so london has the Tube, Bus Lines, National Railway, Overground, Underground, Light Rail, Cable Cars, what else am I missing transit-wise?

[@milkandduckrailway323]

*TFL RAIL/XRAIL/elizabeth line!*

[@geezerbutler4582]

Victoria Coach Station

[@noahbowie7579]

i fly in and out of city airport on a regular basis and it's the best

[@xevlonperc]

Huh, but the London City Airport is really small.

[@noahbowie7579]

+Xevlon Perç that's why it's so good short ques

[@DimensionalIO]

LETS CLOSE LONDON CITY AIRPORT

[@gabri_maybe]

@@DimensionalIO no

[@AKG_2014]

I love DLR

[@LukeLovesMc]

I get the front seat every time :D

[@KasabianFan44]

That's probably why it's hard to get the front seat ;D

[@LukeLovesMc]

+KasabianFan44 xD i usually make people go 'i wanted that seat'

[@390h8er]

Mudchute was named after a conveyor system devised for pumping silt out of the Thames. The station was supposed to be called Millwall Park. But they changed it after concerns that rowdy football fans would come here looking for Millwall F.C. when the ground is actually in S. London!

[@mysterium368]

Did you copy and paste the Wikipedia-Article?

[@390h8er]

Actually I read about it from the DLR handbook, published back in 1987 by Capital Transport. Quite likely the Wikipedia page was quoted from it too.

[@ronetharewood8194]

I did a huge cheer hearing that Mudchute is the favourite station 😭🤣

[@Pit-jt3lw]

What does it even mean?

[@geezerbutler4582]

When they excavated the Inner Docks there was a steam driven mud-chute to carry the mud and deposit it on a spoil heap. That is now the Mudchute Farm and Park.

[@RiccardoPelc]

DO the Overground !!!!!!

[@rustyb42]

***** and your promised abandoned Met line stations :)

[@Raminator137]

***** Will you do Tramlink?

[@nickytanner]

On a train that terminates at Bank one morning I stayed on to see where it went before it came back into service, The attendant caught me but I pretended Id been asleep and by that time had already seen the mysterious world beyond!!

[@michaelcampin1464]

Limehouse is a misnomer it used to be called Stepney East.

[@josh_da_don7572]

Love these vids keep up the good work

[@davidbresson8716]

The DLR reminds me very much of the Copenhagen metro system.

[@Martindyna]

Is the DLR the only railway in London that uses the safer underneath contact 3rd rail system? Oh and Nice video.

[@BluestarFanOfficial]

4:06 Geoff Marshall say a racial slur road

[@thetraincrazykid]

Just rip off that box lid you put your hands on when "pretending to drive" the DLR and you'll find real controls for emergancy

[@EuropeanTrainDriver]

just great