Stratford International branch weekend closure

The reason I've read or heard somewhere (I can't remember where) is "to ensure it continues to maintain the high standards required of the DLR" or something like that. Essentially using a lot of words to say not a lot.
My guess (and it is just that) is that something hasn't bedded in quite right/as well as hoped, or something has suffered an early life failure.
It could of course be that it was planned from the start and this is putting the finishing touches to something that wasn't finished at the time, either because it couldn't be or because of pressure to get it open finally. However given that it's getting on for 6 months after opening, my gut feeling is that it's less likely to be this.

Its closed for 2 weekends in February as well. Its an utter disgrace, This extension cost over £200 million to build. Since the day this extension opened its been a laughing stock of the railways.
Considering this line only covers 6 stations, everybody particularly those at Canning Town are just so bewildered and confused by the way this service is being operated.
This line should not be closing for anything, This line should be state of the art.
We can argue the toss as to who is running this shambles, Serco, DLR or even Boris but whoever is responsible should be shown the door.
This is no way to run a railway in this day and age!

I'm not happy whenever a branch of the DLR is closed for the weekend, but I tend to accept that the DLR don't really do that for the sheer hell of it and that there really is work to be done and since they do give notice of the closures and provide alternative transport where they can, I can usually get on with what I'm supposed to be doing without too much of a problem.

I'm not sure how what is happening this weekend makes the DLR a "utter disgrace" or a "laughing stock" or "shambles", please could you expand your argument?

Gotta be particularly shoddy, I thought DLR signalling was designed to take 36tph?

I've explained it before, I guess I'll just do it again. The demand on the Beckton route is more consistently busy through the day, with flatter, shorter peaks. ExCeL, UEL, LB Newham all create demand that doesn't follow 'rush hour' patterns. There are also events at ExCeL that attract high numbers at weekends which is the reason for the concentration of trains on the Beckton branch. More people from Beckton continue to Canary Wharf or Tower Gateway. Reducing the frequency of Tower Gateway trains, which you are suggesting, would cause greater numbers of interchanges at Canning Town and risk overcrowding. This would mean the station would be closed to ALL lines.

The demand on the Woolwich route has huge, huge peaks. In the morning peak every train arriving at Woolwich Arsenal meets a massive crowd of people waiting to board, even though there is already a train in the opposite platform. At London City Airport there is a massive bunfight to board a busy train. At Canning Town there is a net loss of about 30% of the passengers, mostly to the Jubilee Line. This is why there used to be Woolwich Arsenal to Canning Town shuttles. In the evening peak, the rush is reversed, but spread out. You generally lose 20% at West Silvertown, 30% at London City Airport.

So, of course when a train to Woolwich Arsenal arrives at Canning Town in the morning peak, it will be quite empty. It has to get back to Woolwich Arsenal somehow to pick up more passengers. London City Airport tends to be used by business people. They arrive in the morning and leave in the evening.

Realistically, the next phase will have to be a train from Beckton and Woolwich Arsenal every 4 minutes alternating Stratford International with Bank/Tower Gateway. It needs more trains to be purchased. The only short-term solution, which you won't like, is a train every 5 minutes from Beckton to Stratford International, and a train every 5 minutes from Woolwich Arsenal to Bank/Tower Gateway. No direct trains from Beckton to the City. This is the logical pattern because of the junction arrangements.

With regards to the original contractors - I believe they went out of business so good luck trying to get money out of a bankrupt company.

I'm not sure if there are rules in which a rail replacement has to be run? That is the only reason I can see why it is run.