West India Quay DLR station

London stations
name = West India Quay


manager = Docklands Light Railway
zone = 2
locale = West India Quay
borough = London Borough of Tower Hamlets
start=1987
platforms= 4

West India Quay DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway in London, England. It is situated at the point where the line from Lewisham splits into branches to Tower Gateway/Bank and Stratford. The next stations on each line are Canary Wharf DLR station (to Lewisham), Westferry (to Tower Gateway/Bank) and Poplar DLR station (to Stratford). The station is in Travelcard Zone 2.

The station opened in 1987, but was closed from 1991 to 1993 as the surrounding area was rebuilt. The station is near to the Museum in Docklands and the adjoining hotel and leisure facilities on the north quay of West India Docks, and indeed the platforms of the station extend over part of the dock.

The station has four tracks and two island platforms. In normal traffic the platforms are used, in west to east order, for trains to Westferry, trains to Poplar, trains from Westferry, and trains from Poplar.

The distance from West India Quay DLR to Canary Wharf DLR is just 0.08 miles (approx 130 metres), the shortest distance on the entire London Underground and Docklands Light Railway system. Indeed, while standing at the station, the platforms for Canary Wharf are clearly visible just down the line.

Between March and October 2007 the station's canopy was replaced, in a £1.85m project funded by Transport for London cite press release
title = West India Quay Station works completed
publisher = Transport for London
date = 2007-10-29
url = http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/6280.aspx
accessdate = 2007-10-29 ] .

Demolition of Platform 1 and Upgrade of Delta Junction

At the moment, the problem is that trains from Canary Wharf to Poplar have to cross trains in front of trains from Bank to Canary Wharf, which limits capacity. Construction is under way to make a new diveunder as part of the current capacity upgrades. The new diveunder plan is to construct a ramp that will take trains from Bank to Canary Wharf under the current Canary Wharf to Poplar track. The new track will bypass West India Quay, before coming back up to rejoin the route to Canary Wharf. Since the route will bypass West India Quay, trains from Bank will not call at the station. In order to construct the new track next to West India Quay, the easternmost platform (Platform 1) will need to be demolished.

References

External links

* [http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/transportaccessibility/dlr/3237.aspx Docklands Light Railway website - West India Quay station page]
* [http://www.mero-schmidlin.com/structures/2007wiq.htm Article on the replacement of the canopies]