Stratford International - Testing yet?

I saw something saying it was going ahead, but it wasn't clear where about 90% of the funding was coming from. Looking at the plans I think they could do better than going from nearish the O2 and North Greenwich to nearish Excel and Royal Victoria.

Why is the sole destination of this new service ever thought to be Stratford International? It's going to be useful along the rest of the route between Stratford Regional and Canning Town as it'll be a suitable alternative to the 276 bus route, which is rammed to bursting point for much of the day. Getting some of the passengers off the 276 onto the DLR will be good. It'll also take pressure off other services such as the 262, the 473 to City Airport and so on.

And as someone who lives in the area who can afford to both take daybreaks to the continent and shop at Westfield I find your second comment inaccurate. The area around Stratford, Leyton, Walthamstow, Hackney etc is also popular with professionals who can easily get to work and leisure from there.

I maintain people will be surprised once the extension opens.

Linky: DLR extension finally set to open in late spring

At Canning Town earlier I noticed that some of the signs have had their protective packaging removed and the "way out" signs were lit. This is the first time I've seen this. There was still a mobile lifting platform vehicle on the platform though.

E-r-r, new (e.g. now old) Stratford station was delayed for quite a while too. Opening of Woolwich extension also slipped by quite a while.

Well, we’re now into March. There is still a fence across the tracks of the new route east of Canning Town, where the Stratford International route joins that for Woolwich Arsenal. So they don’t seem to be doing much testing yet!

Is anyone opening a book on TfL’s interpretation of “Late Spring 2011”?

Looking on past copies of the project pages (eg web.archive.org/web/20050415171025/developments.dlr.co.uk/extensions/stratford/what_next.shtml) it was originally envisaged that this route would open by the end of 2009 !!!

I'm thinking of awarding a prize to the first person to see "Opening Autumn 2011"

Last told late-June (2011!!). I'm not going to hold my breath ...

Not getting my draws in a twist - just reporting what I know for everyone's benefit, such as it is ;D ;D ;D

When I went there last summer holidays (I think, would have been September latest as that was when my child Oyster ran out) to take photos of construction the bus that runs alongside the route to Canning Town was quiet at the start and then VERY busy as the route neared the terminus, witnessed on buses in both directions. And this was on a weekday middayish/early afternoon IIRC.

So I think there is quite some demand, especially with all the existing services at Stratford to connect to!

If you build it, they will come

Lots of timetables for stations on the DLR site had it opening last Autumn last time I checked (few days ago)

I've noticed all the wrapping seems to be off now. Also, it was about 2 weeks ago that the Beckton branch had all new line diagrams installed (with the SI branch stickered-over) and new wayfinding signs on gantries and awnings, etc. So it would at least appear that the route opening is not anticipated to be too far off.