DLR extension opening marks countdown to Paralympic Games

Date: 1/9/2011

With little less than one year to go before the Paralympic Games in London, the recently completed extension of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has taken place.

Transport for London (TfL) notes that the service will be a 'key' component of the capital's travel networks once the event kicks off.

The extension from Stratford International to Canning Town is fully accessible and will therefore help people with restricted mobility to enjoy improved use of the city's public transport system.

Costing £211 million, the project connects the Olympic Park with five other venues for the Games and has boosted the number of stations on the line from three to seven, each of which is free of steps.

However, it is not only the DLR that has improved its accessibility, but also parts of the Underground and bus services.

Indeed, all 8,500 buses operating in the capital are now fully accessible, while 62 tube stations have no steps between the street and the platform.

London Borough of Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales says: "TfL should be congratulated for providing a sustainable and accessible transport legacy for our borough after the London 2012 Games."

Another part of TfL's plans to prepare for the high volume of visitors expected during the Games is the creation of the Central London Zone, which will be subject to temporary traffic restrictions with locals encouraged to walk and cycle rather than drive.

Posted by Mary Treen