Woolwich Arsenal railway station
Encyclopedia
Woolwich Arsenal station is a National Rail
and Docklands Light Railway
interchange station
located in Woolwich
in the London Borough of Greenwich
. It acts as a local station on the North Kent Line
between London and Gillingham
, served by Southeastern
, and is the southern terminus of the Woolwich Arsenal branch of the Docklands Light Railway. The station faces General Gordon Square and is named after the nearby Woolwich Arsenal
. It is the only DLR station to be located in Travelcard Zone 4
.
from London to Gillingham. The station building was rebuilt in 1906 with a London brick
-built structure, very typical of southeast London. The current station building dates from 1996, and has a modern design in steel and glass. It has a circular theme, quite different from what existed before.
Woolwich Arsenal was expanded in 2009, when Transport for London
completed the construction of an extension of the London City Airport
branch of the Docklands Light Railway
from King George V
to Woolwich Arsenal, which is the branch's new terminus. The official opening took place on 12 January 2009.
The National Rail part of the station consists of two above-ground platforms. The up platform for London has a refreshment facility. The down platform serves trains going east, towards north Kent, via Plumstead
, Abbey Wood
and Slade Green
.
The Docklands Light Railway part of the station is underground, and consists of two platforms in an island platform
configuration. As Woolwich Arsenal is a terminus, both platforms serve an up line to Bank via London City Airport
, Canning Town
and Poplar
. Trains depart in the eastbound direction due to the curve under the River Thames
.
, 53
, 54
, 96
, 99, 122, 161, 178, 244, 291, 380, 386, 422
469, 472, Night routes N1 pass the station and 7mins walk to the station from Beresford Street to New Road for bus routes 177
, 180 and school routes 658 and 672.
A new Crossrail
station will be opened in Woolwich after a vigorous campaign to include it in the scheme run by Greenwich council and Berkeley Homes. Woolwich railway station
will be located around 200m North of Woolwich Arsenal station on the north side of the A206
, on the site of the Royal Arsenal.
Docklands Light Railway trains run every ten minutes to Bank. Additionally (from 2 March 2009) there are also peak hour trains to Canning Town every ten minutes giving an overall peak-hour frequency of every five minutes. A typical journey time to Bank is 31 minutes, while to Canary Wharf
it is 20 minutes and to London City Airport
it is 6 minutes.
The Docklands Light Railway's extension to Stratford International station
from Canning Town
via West Ham
and Stratford low-level
on the disused North London Line
opened in 2011.
National Rail
National Rail is a title used by the Association of Train Operating Companies as a generic term to define the passenger rail services operated in Great Britain...
and Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
interchange station
Interchange station
An interchange station or a transfer station is a train station for more than one railway route in a public transport system, and allows passengers to change from one route to another. Transfer may occur within the same mode, or between rail modes, or to buses...
located in Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
in the London Borough of Greenwich
London Borough of Greenwich
The London Borough of Greenwich is an Inner London borough in south-east London, England. Taking its name from the historic town of Greenwich, the present borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with part of the Metropolitan...
. It acts as a local station on the North Kent Line
North Kent Line
The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.-Construction:The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge...
between London and Gillingham
Gillingham, Kent
Gillingham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. The town includes the settlements of Brompton, Hempstead, Rainham, Rainham Mark and Twydall....
, served by Southeastern
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...
, and is the southern terminus of the Woolwich Arsenal branch of the Docklands Light Railway. The station faces General Gordon Square and is named after the nearby Woolwich Arsenal
Royal Arsenal
The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, originally known as the Woolwich Warren, carried out armaments manufacture, ammunition proofing and explosives research for the British armed forces. It was sited on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England.-Early history:The Warren...
. It is the only DLR station to be located in Travelcard Zone 4
Travelcard Zone 4
Fare zone 4 is a zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services...
.
History
The station opened in 1849, serving the North Kent LineNorth Kent Line
The North Kent Line is a railway line which connects central and south east London with Dartford and Medway.-Construction:The North Kent Line was the means by which the South Eastern Railway were able to connect its system to London at London Bridge...
from London to Gillingham. The station building was rebuilt in 1906 with a London brick
London stock brick
London stock brick is the type of hand-made brick which was used for the majority of building work in London and South East England until the growth in the use of Flettons and other machine-made bricks in the early 20th century. Its distinctive yellow colour and soft appearance come from the...
-built structure, very typical of southeast London. The current station building dates from 1996, and has a modern design in steel and glass. It has a circular theme, quite different from what existed before.
Woolwich Arsenal was expanded in 2009, when Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
completed the construction of an extension of the London City Airport
London City Airport
London City Airport is a single-runway airport. It principally serves the financial district of London and is located on a former Docklands site, east of the City of London, opposite the London Regatta Centre, in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It was developed by the engineering...
branch of the Docklands Light Railway
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
from King George V
King George V DLR station
King George V DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway which opened on 2 December 2005 and named after King George V Dock, nearby. The station is in the London Borough of Newham and is located in Travelcard Zone 3. Station and on-train announcements refer to the station as 'King...
to Woolwich Arsenal, which is the branch's new terminus. The official opening took place on 12 January 2009.
Design
Plumstead railway station
Plumstead railway station serves the suburb of Plumstead, in the London Borough of Greenwich, east of Woolwich Arsenal. It is served by Southeastern....
, Abbey Wood
Abbey Wood railway station
Abbey Wood railway station serves the suburb of Abbey Wood in South East London. It is served by Southeastern, and is between and stations on the North Kent Line....
and Slade Green
Slade Green railway station
Slade Green railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London, on the North Kent Line. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern.- Services :The typical off-peak service from the station is:...
.
The Docklands Light Railway part of the station is underground, and consists of two platforms in an island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
configuration. As Woolwich Arsenal is a terminus, both platforms serve an up line to Bank via London City Airport
London City Airport DLR station
London City Airport DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway which serves the London City Airport. It opened on 2 December 2005. It is located on the King George V branch. Until the extension to Woolwich Arsenal, this station was the reason for this branch. It continues to be an...
, Canning Town
Canning Town station
Canning Town station is an inter-modal transport interchange in Canning Town, northeast London, England. It is served by the London Underground Jubilee line, the Docklands Light Railway and local buses operated for London Buses. It is in Travelcard Zone 3...
and Poplar
Poplar DLR station
Poplar is a station on the Docklands Light Railway in Travelcard Zone 2. It is served by three of the six regular routes on the DLR making it one of the busiest stations on the network in terms of services.-History:Long before the opening of the DLR in 1987, there had been three stations with the...
. Trains depart in the eastbound direction due to the curve under the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
.
Location
London Bus routes 51London Buses route 51
London Buses route 51 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London.-History:...
, 53
London Buses route 53
London Buses route 53 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London.-History:...
, 54
London Buses route 54
London Buses route 54 is a Transport for London bus route in the United Kingdom, it is now contracted to Metrobus.-Bases:Before 2009, when Stagecoach Selkent ran the route under tender from Transport for London, the 54 was based based at Catford garage, although other depots, notably Plumstead,...
, 96
London Buses route 96
London Buses route 96 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London.-History:...
, 99, 122, 161, 178, 244, 291, 380, 386, 422
London Buses route 422
London Buses route 422 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Go-Ahead London.-History:...
469, 472, Night routes N1 pass the station and 7mins walk to the station from Beresford Street to New Road for bus routes 177
London Buses route 177
London Buses route 177 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, England. The service is currently contracted to Stagecoach London.-History:Route 177 came about as part of the replacement of London's trams in 1952...
, 180 and school routes 658 and 672.
A new Crossrail
Crossrail
Crossrail is a project to build a major new railway link under central London. The name refers to the first of two routes which are the responsibility of Crossrail Ltd. It is based on an entirely new east-west tunnel with a central section from to Liverpool Street station...
station will be opened in Woolwich after a vigorous campaign to include it in the scheme run by Greenwich council and Berkeley Homes. Woolwich railway station
Woolwich railway station
Woolwich railway station is a planned new station of the Crossrail rail project in London, UK. The station, which would serve the Woolwich area, was not initially proposed as part of the route but was added after a House of Commons Select Committee suggested its inclusion and after additional...
will be located around 200m North of Woolwich Arsenal station on the north side of the A206
A206 road
The A206 road links Greenwich with Greenhithe following the line of the River Thames. Today it is approximately 15 miles in length, although the final section is a relatively new road. Its primary purpose is to link into the London Orbital motorway at the Dartford Crossing and is heavily used by...
, on the site of the Royal Arsenal.
Services
The typical off-peak National Rail service from the station is:- 6tph (trains per hour) to London Cannon Street via
- 2tph to via
- 2tph to Slade GreenSlade Green railway stationSlade Green railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London, on the North Kent Line. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern.- Services :The typical off-peak service from the station is:...
, returning to London Cannon Street via SidcupSidcup railway stationSidcup railway station is a railway station located in Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London. It is in Travelcard Zone 5.-Services:These are operated by Southeastern, who also manage the station.* 2tph to * 2tph to... - 2tph to Slade Green
- 2tph to DartfordDartford railway stationDartford railway station serves the town of Dartford in Kent, England. All train services from the station are operated by Southeastern, which also manages the station...
- 2tph to via Dartford
Docklands Light Railway trains run every ten minutes to Bank. Additionally (from 2 March 2009) there are also peak hour trains to Canning Town every ten minutes giving an overall peak-hour frequency of every five minutes. A typical journey time to Bank is 31 minutes, while to Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf DLR station
Canary Wharf DLR station is a Docklands Light Railway station in London, England. Built into the base of One Canada Square, between two parts of a shopping centre, it serves the Canary Wharf office complex...
it is 20 minutes and to London City Airport
London City Airport DLR station
London City Airport DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway which serves the London City Airport. It opened on 2 December 2005. It is located on the King George V branch. Until the extension to Woolwich Arsenal, this station was the reason for this branch. It continues to be an...
it is 6 minutes.
The Docklands Light Railway's extension to Stratford International station
Stratford International station
Stratford International station is a main line railway and Docklands Light Railway station located in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham in northeast London, United Kingdom...
from Canning Town
Canning Town station
Canning Town station is an inter-modal transport interchange in Canning Town, northeast London, England. It is served by the London Underground Jubilee line, the Docklands Light Railway and local buses operated for London Buses. It is in Travelcard Zone 3...
via West Ham
West Ham station
West Ham station is an interchange station located on the corner of Manor Road and Memorial Avenue in the West Ham neighbourhood of the London Borough of Newham in east London, England. The station is served by London Underground, National Rail and Docklands Light Railway services...
and Stratford low-level
Stratford station
Stratford station is a large multilevel railway station in Stratford, east London. The station is served by the National Rail services National Express East Anglia, London Overground and c2c, by London Underground's Central and Jubilee lines, and by the Docklands Light Railway . Stratford is in...
on the disused North London Line
North London Line
The North London Line is a railway line which passes through the inner suburbs of north London, England. Its route is a rough semicircle from the south west to the north east, avoiding central London. The line is owned and maintained by Network Rail...
opened in 2011.