Paul Corfield wrote:
Slightly surprised no one has mentioned this but

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/medi...tre/11275.aspx

says Tower Gateway has reopened.

I have a couple of observations (visited for the first time today).

- Nothing at all has changed externally - quite a surprise since all the
other bright blue Postmodern DLR stations have since been rebuilt, and
that opaque Perspex looks pretty grim. Also, the one working escalator
was set to Down, and those stairs are very narrow for dealing with
5.45ish crowds.

- At platform level, much improved. 3 Oyster-accepting ticket machines
of a new design (can we have some for Tramlink??) and one Queue Buster.

- The arrival/departure layout is sensible, though currently no effort
to enforce the 'right side in' rule - doors on the waiting train were
open on both sides until we left. Draughty!

- Something that puzzled me - obviously there's now a single platform
track, with what looks like a reversing siding to the north (ie in
between the station and the Southend line). This siding becomes the down
running line just outside the station, trains from the platform joining
it using a facing crossover. As we were about to leave, an inbound unit
approached and (obviously) waited just before this crossover while we
left the platform. However, although I looked carefully, I couldn't see
any trap points or any mechanical means of stopping an Up train from
entering the platform when occupied. Is this normal for a .uk light rail
system (albeit an automatic one with occasional manual driving), or does
the DLR have particularly good train protection? Presumably it wouldn't
be allowed on NR, and obviously LU has its tripcocks.

I had a fun trip out to Woolwich, and (just as at Lewisham previously)
the popularity of the extension really highlighted the imbalance in
transport investment north and south of the Thames. It may be slow and
small compared to a proper Tube, but by golly it's faster, more modern
and (Oyster-wise) more convenient than anything else we've got at the
moment.
--
Current nearest station: Lewisham