Paul Terry wrote:
How much experience does the DLR have in running a network that is
mostly a century old and desperately short of funds?

No idea, but during the hassles of the early days I would suspect they
learned a great deal about how to manage a network that is in need of
major works whilst also fulfilling a critical transport role.


Different organizations actually able to _work_ _together_ and operate
a ___unified___ service? Amazing!

Of course that is good, but setting-up and running a brand new low-cost
light-rail system is a totally different ball game to trying to do
something about the tube infrastructure, and the investment
opportunities for DLR's partners would vaporise in the light of the
costs involved.

Indeed. To the casual observer though, it seems odd that the DLR
doesn't seem to be regularly lynched for infrastructure problems/broken
trains/decrepit stations/staff strikes/insert excuse, while the
Underground is.

On Sat, 03 Dec 2005 21:06:50 -0000, TheOneKEA wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:


I'm not offended, I;m surprised! I thought the DLR was owned and
operated as a homogenous vertically-integrated entity, and that said
operator was Serco. I had no idea that the three extensions (Lewisham,
Beckton and LCY) were all operated by separate entities.


It's even more complicated then that.
The DLR is owned by Docklands Light Railway Ltd. DLRL own, manage
projects and oversee the franchise on behalf of TfL. Serco Docklands Ltd
operate and maintain the railway (and have received preferred bidder
status to operate the franchise until 2013). SDL do not maintain the two
most recent extensions. CGL maintain the Lewisham extension under a 24.5
year concessionaire agreement, CARE maintain the LCY extension, and the
Woolwich Arsenal extension is being built and maintained by WARE.

For more about the structure of the DLR, see their excellent website
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/dlr/about/dlr/index.shtml

--
Using Opera's revolutionary e-mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

On 3 Dec 2005 13:06:50 -0800, "TheOneKEA" wrote:

Paul Corfield wrote:
*blink*

Sorry but I'm confused, In my newsreader your post was below one that
simply said the line had opened.

Odd.


I agree with someone else who asked why the hell this lot is not
involved with the Underground.

I haven't seen a post making that comment under the OneKEA name. I get
a sense you seem offended but that was not my intention. I was simply
saying the DLR set up was a bit more complex that just being a contract
with Serco.

I'm not offended, I;m surprised! I thought the DLR was owned and
operated as a homogenous vertically-integrated entity, and that said
operator was Serco. I had no idea that the three extensions (Lewisham,
Beckton and LCY) were all operated by separate entities.

OK. I was concerned I'd upset someone else.

Different organizations actually able to _work_ _together_ and operate
a ___unified___ service? Amazing!

If this is a remark contrasting with LU and the Infracos then there are
many, many reasons why performance levels are different between LU and
DLR. Almost all of them have nothing to do with the contractual
arrangements for providing the staff, vehicles and infrastructure. You
can slice the cake any number of ways and then put in place mechanisms
to make it work.

I'm not making a specific reference to LU and the Infracos, I'm just
applauding the fact that the operation of the DLR with separate
organizations working together appears to be functioning so well. It
could certainly be far worse!

Yes DLR does seem to work. I think this is because it is a young
organisation and it has restructured itself at the same time as it has
got bigger and thus the revised structure deals with bigger scale of
operations. There is also the benefit of having had sustained
investment over a long period that has stopped the railway
deteriorating. It is worth recalling as well that it went through a
dreadful phase of unreliability when it migrated to its new signalling
and control system. I suspect that pain has taught them a huge amount in
how to deal with future projects - this could be why they have such good
project management in place these days.
--
Paul C


Admits to working for London Underground!