The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) began operation in August 1987, a significant step forward to reconnecting the former industrial area of East London with the rest of the capital after the closure of the London and Blackwall Railway in 1966 due to lack of traffic.
The Royal Docks would have to wait until 1994 to be part of the network, with a route from Poplar to Canning Town being opened. The trains themselves were driverless, operated by computer, with a Train Captain on board, checking tickets and controlling the doors.
Grant Fleming, one of the contributors to the Royal Docks’ Forgotten Stories heritage project recalls: “The docks and the communities who lived around them had been practically cut off from the rest of London. There were times when you felt like the area had just been left to die.
“The DLR was a big step forward and the area feels much more connected. As well as the DLR you can walk or cycle all the way from Stratford to central London along the canal towpath.”
