Pudding Mill Lane

Fairly obvious, so that on Monday 30 July people aren't expecting to get on and off there. You can put up as many signs as you like but I'll guarantee that no one reads them and come Monday you'd have loads of angry passengers complaining that there was no warning of this.

Or am I just being cynical.......

I was joking but seriously the punters really are that stupid, so glad I'm not working stations, it's going to be hell out there......

They aren't rebuilding it just yet, this closure is simply for the Olympics and then the new station will be start to be built afterwards and then the old station demolished once finished.

Anyone know if DLR have decided to use this as an excuse to double track the whole section between Bow Church and Stratford? I know they were thinking about it but not decided on.

not enough space on the bend between Pudding Mill Lane and Bow Church stations

I was certainly under the impression that Pudding Mill Lane to Stratford would be doubled as this was regarded as the biggest bottleneck on the network.
The actual bend between PML and Bow Church would be more difficult to double, but probably not physical impossible. Whether it would be economically possible or not I don't know.

I've no problem as such with the singled sections; being the end of the route the need for doubling isn't as critical as other, busier sections of the DLR network, though it's obviously desirable (but costly, given there's no more space on the viaduct shared with Anglia services; especially the section that travels over the A12).

This new station viaduct is double track for all what has been constructed so far, so if it stays doubled until joining the existing trackbed at either end, that'll be more double track on the station approach than at present, which would allow trains waiting to leave Pudding Mill Lane earlier and help keep to time.

At the moment a 6 minute headway is, from what I've seen, the best frequency that stays reliable; 5 min headways normally lead to waiting at Bow Church. With the rebuilt Pudding Mill Lane, depending on how far the station approach travels, a reliable 5 min service might be possible.

After the Olympic Park is built out, a higher frequency may well be needed and the track doubled as much as can be done (Bow Church curve being the obvious exclusion).

I would imagine that re-opening Platform 4 would be quite expensive and utterly redundant after the Games. There is also the question of whether they'd have enough trains available to fill all three platforms.

Another reason why Pudding Mill Lane is closed is that it is actually within the Olympic Park, only ticket holders will be allowed into the Park so you'd need a ticket just to get off.

Something I noticed, Custom House will be exit only while Prince Regent will be entrance only. Now I can understand how you stop people entering a station thus making it exit only but just how do you stop people getting off a train and leaving a station? When I worked on stations I never was asked to do this, any suggestions?

I see G4S staff/squaddies on the platform with cattle prods lying in wait for anyone who dares to get off..............

Is Pudding Mill Lane the only station within the Park?

If Westfield were inside the Park that would mean a serious slump in sales as only ticket holders would be allowed to shop.

Yes but as I mentioned previously, the security cordon will go around it.

As far as I've read, Pudding Mill Lane is not adapted for 3 car trains, however I'm sure the passing is. I think it's interesting how quickly the points have to be changed as the trains are longer than the last time pudding mill was a passing place.

Pudding Mill Lane westbound can take 3-vehicle trains as it was lengthened at the east (Stratford) end.

The eastbound (towards Stratford) cannot, where trains operate with "selective door opening" (SDO) as also at Cutty Sark, Elverson Road, Gallions Reach and Royal Albert.

One would assume that the new PML will be 3-vehicles long for both directions.