Poplar DLR station
Encyclopedia
Poplar is a station on the Docklands Light Railway
in Travelcard Zone 2
. It is served by three of the six regular routes on the DLR (Stratford-Lewisham, Bank-Woolwich Arsenal and Tower Gateway-Beckton) making it one of the busiest stations on the network in terms of services.
Poplar DLR station was opened on 21 August 1987, originally with just two platforms, being served only by the Stratford-Island Gardens branch of the DLR. As the DLR was expanded eastwards, the station was extensively remodelled, given two extra platforms and expanded to take two-car operation. On 28 March 1994 Poplar became the western terminus of the new Beckton branch, which opened the same day; on 31 July 1995 the line was extended west, joining Poplar with Westferry via a flying junction
and enabling Beckton services to run to Tower Gateway. Bank to King George V (later Woolwich Arsenal) services through the station commenced on 2 December 2005.
The central depot for the DLR is situated next to Poplar station and is accessed through a pair of tracks just east of Poplar. These feature the tightest curves in operation on the railway.
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
in Travelcard Zone 2
Travelcard Zone 2
Fare zone 2 is an inner zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services.-Background:...
. It is served by three of the six regular routes on the DLR (Stratford-Lewisham, Bank-Woolwich Arsenal and Tower Gateway-Beckton) making it one of the busiest stations on the network in terms of services.
History
Long before the opening of the DLR in 1987, there had been three stations with the name Poplar. However, none was on the site of the current station.- Poplar railway stationPoplar railway stationPoplar railway station was a railway station in Poplar, London that was on the London and Blackwall Railway between Millwall Junction and Blackwall....
was on the London and Blackwall RailwayLondon and Blackwall RailwayOriginally called the Commercial Railway, the London and Blackwall Railway was a railway line in east London, England. It ran from the Minories to Blackwall via Stepney, with a branch line to the Isle of Dogs, thus connecting central London to many of London's docks in the 19th and 20th centuries...
between 8 July 1840 to 4 May 1926. This is near the site of Blackwall DLR stationBlackwall DLR stationBlackwall is a station on Docklands Light Railway in east London. The station is close to the northern entry to the Blackwall road tunnel under the Thames....
. - Poplar (East India Dock Road) railway stationPoplar (East India Dock Road) railway stationPoplar railway station was a railway station on the East India Dock Road in Poplar, London. It opened in 1850 and after 1865 was the southern passenger terminus of the North London Railway , although goods trains ran on to connect to the London and Blackwall Railway for the East India Docks or to...
on the North London RailwayNorth London RailwayThe North London Railway was a railway company that opened lines connecting the north of London to the East and West India Docks. The main east to west route is now part the North London Line. Other lines operated by the company fell into disuse, but were later revived as part of the Docklands...
was in use from 1866 until 1944. This is now the site of All Saints DLR stationAll Saints DLR stationAll Saints DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway in east London. It is named after the nearby All Saints, Poplar, a church dating from 1821-3. The station entrance is on the East India Dock Road, opposite Chrisp Street Market....
. - A third station named Poplar was constructed in 1851 but never opened. This was sited due south of the North London Railway station (now All Saints DLR), and due east of the present DLR depot.
Poplar DLR station was opened on 21 August 1987, originally with just two platforms, being served only by the Stratford-Island Gardens branch of the DLR. As the DLR was expanded eastwards, the station was extensively remodelled, given two extra platforms and expanded to take two-car operation. On 28 March 1994 Poplar became the western terminus of the new Beckton branch, which opened the same day; on 31 July 1995 the line was extended west, joining Poplar with Westferry via a flying junction
Flying junction
A flying junction or flyover is a railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...
and enabling Beckton services to run to Tower Gateway. Bank to King George V (later Woolwich Arsenal) services through the station commenced on 2 December 2005.
Connections
Poplar serves a junction in four directions:- Eastbound towards BecktonBeckton DLR stationBeckton DLR station is the eastern terminus of the Beckton branch of the Docklands Light Railway in the Docklands area of east London. It is located in Travelcard Zone 3. The DLR branch from Poplar was opened on 28 March 1994...
, London City AirportLondon City Airport DLR stationLondon City Airport DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway which serves the London City Airport. It opened on 2 December 2005. It is located on the King George V branch. Until the extension to Woolwich Arsenal, this station was the reason for this branch. It continues to be an...
and King George VKing George V DLR stationKing George V DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway which opened on 2 December 2005 and named after King George V Dock, nearby. The station is in the London Borough of Newham and is located in Travelcard Zone 3. Station and on-train announcements refer to the station as 'King...
(next station BlackwallBlackwall DLR stationBlackwall is a station on Docklands Light Railway in east London. The station is close to the northern entry to the Blackwall road tunnel under the Thames....
) - Northbound to StratfordStratford stationStratford station is a large multilevel railway station in Stratford, east London. The station is served by the National Rail services National Express East Anglia, London Overground and c2c, by London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines, and by the Docklands Light Railway . Stratford is in...
(next station All SaintsAll Saints DLR stationAll Saints DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway in east London. It is named after the nearby All Saints, Poplar, a church dating from 1821-3. The station entrance is on the East India Dock Road, opposite Chrisp Street Market....
) - Southbound to the Isle of DogsIsle of DogsThe Isle of Dogs is a former island in the East End of London that is bounded on three sides by one of the largest meanders in the River Thames.-Etymology:...
and LewishamLewisham stationLewisham station is a National Rail and Docklands Light Railway station in Lewisham, south east London. It is on the south-east London commuter rail network operated by Southeastern. The Docklands Light Railway station opened in 1999 on a southward extension from Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs...
(next station West India QuayWest India Quay DLR stationWest 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 , Westferry and Poplar DLR...
) - Westbound to Bank and Tower GatewayTower Gateway DLR stationTower Gateway is a Docklands Light Railway station near the Tower of London. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. It adjoins the tracks to Fenchurch Street station and is on the site of the closed Minories railway station....
(next station WestferryWestferry DLR stationWestferry DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway , in the Limehouse district of east London. The station is located in Travelcard Zone 2...
).
The central depot for the DLR is situated next to Poplar station and is accessed through a pair of tracks just east of Poplar. These feature the tightest curves in operation on the railway.
External links
- Docklands Light Railway website - Poplar station page
- Map of Poplar, 1885.
- Photograph of one of the platforms at Poplar