DLR Stratford International extension progress

Since the Stratford to North Woolwich closed in December 2006, work has been slowly happening to convert the section between Canning Town and Stratford into the DLR, extending it onwards to serve Stratford International, and due for opening in 2010.

How far have they got? Not very, since it's still in the "enabling works" stage. For a short distance west of Royal Victoria the track has been removed and stacked in the mouth of Connaught Tunnel:

This line here is part of the non-existent Royal Docks Heritage Railway and eventually will be part of Crossrail.

The track has been removed to allow the construction of complex grade-separated junction between the four branches south of Canning Town, which is well under way but I've completely failed to photograph it. There's lots of digging and drilling and concrete and rebar and so on. You'll have to use your imagination.

At Canning Town the old North London Line platform has been covered in Martian graffiti:


All trains towards Stratford International will leave from these platforms, and all trains towards Canary Wharf and Central London will leave from the existing platforms upstairs. Trains the other way, towards Beckton and City Airport/Woolwich Arsenal can leave from either location, depending on where they're coming from. There will be no direct trains from Stratford International to Canary Wharf.

The line is untouched all the way from here to Stratford, with no sign yet of the three new stations.

At Stratford, the North London Line is still using the through platforms downstairs, and no work can happen until new platforms have been built for it upstairs on the far north side of the station:

The North London Line service will be diverted here this December, os so I'm told.

North of Stratford, the NLL/future DLR is being walled in with enormous concrete slabs:


The DLR will run along the same track until almost to the first junction, where it turns right and runs alongside the Temple Mills freight line to reach Stratford International. I've made a Google Map showing what's what.

From a passing board an NLL trains you can see a level trackbed has been left alongside the freight line as part of the recent large scale landscaping of the area:
That bridge carries the Stratford International access road. Almost visible beyond is the Channel Tunnel Rail Link cutting.

And that's the nearest the public can get. See this post for pictures of Stratford International DLR station under construction.