Portal:London transport/Selected articles/3
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a light rail public transport metro serving the redeveloped Docklands area of east London. The DLR is separate from the London Underground, with separate tracks and rolling stock. The two systems share a single ticketing system. The DLR appears on the London Underground’s Tube map.
All the trains are computer-controlled and have no driver: a passenger service agent (PSA) on each train is responsible for patrolling the train, checking tickets, making announcements, and controlling the doors. PSAs can also take control of the train in case of computer failure or emergency. Operation and maintenance of the DLR has been carried out by a private franchise since 1997. The current franchise, due to expire in April 2013, belongs to Serco Docklands Ltd, a company jointly formed by Serco and the former DLR management team.
Since opening on 31 August 1987, the system has been extended and upgraded many times to increase the extent of its coverage and increase capacity with new branches being constructed to take the network to Bank in the City of London, London City Airport, Lewisham and Woolwich Arsenal.