DLR Horizon 2020: A Bank Loop via Barbican and Cannon Street

In 2005, TfL commissioned a report, entitled "DLR Horizon 2020" into possible pragmatic options for expanding and extending the DLR over the subsequent 15 year period. Thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, this report is now available to the public and the posts in this series each summarise one of the options the final 2005 report suggested.

Please note that all estimated costs are the original 2005 figure and the report is not indicative of current TfL strategy. I will make a general summary post providing a link to the full report and some background and conclusions at the end of the series.

This proposal would see a loop alignment (either single or double track, depending on project budget) extended out from Bank. This would take in Moorgate, Barbican, City Thameslink and Cannon Street before rejoining Bank.

If a double-track option were pursued, a balance of service between clockwise and anticlockwise would be required. Grade separation may be required south of Bank to avoid flat junction conflict.

If only a single track option were put in place, then some services would operate clockwise through the loop whilst others terminated at Bank. The existing overrun tunnel at Bank would be retained to allow reversing, meaning junctions would need to be constructed to leave the overrun tunnel between the new loop tunnels.

Between Bank and Barbican, the alignments and constraints would be the same as for the Barbican extension. Beyond Barbican, the route would travel southward to a new DLR station at City Thameslink, before swinging back towards Bank via Cannon Street.

The Benefits

The scheme would provide all the benefits of the Barbican extension. In addition, it provides additional interchange opportunities at City Thameslink and Cannon Street, and reduces interchanges at Bank even further.

The Problems

Again, the scheme inherits all the issues of Bank – Barbican.

It also adds some of its own. Connecting the loop at Bank would be a major technical challenge thanks to changing grades and may even necessitate a new DLR tunnel beneath the existing one – that would raise the possibility of tunneling outside of London Clay.

The scheme would also require complex integration with the Farringdon Crossrail facilities and the Eastern Tickethall on its path to City Thameslink. It would also run close to a number of sensitive buildings (including the Mansion House).

The Price

Total Construction Cost: £564m
Annual Operating Costs: £3.0m