Poor DLR signage at Canning Town

[DJL]

Not sure if this is the right subforum? I couldn't find a light rail specific one even though I was expecting to after the recent changes.

This had kind of turned into a story - sorry.

As a Londoner I was quite surprised today when I failed to identify the correct platform at Canning Town station.

I can't remember when the last time I used the DLR was, a long time ago certainly.
I arrived at Canning Town by Jubilee.
Was given two choices for the DLR for different platforms But there was no indication as to which platform I needed in order to get to Custom House.
I did spot a sign saying to look at the departure board but I couldn't find one!
In the end I just picked a direction and figured I'd sort it out when I got to the platform.

I chose down.

Having arrived on Platform 1 I identified a sign which clearly showed that Custom House could be reached from that platform.

At this point I had to wait for my sister I was meeting her there.
When she arrived she pointed out that all the trains due on that platform were heading to Woolwich. It was only at this point that I spotted the small departures screen and sussed out that we needed platform 3.

Is there a DLR departures screen on the Jubilee platforms that I missed? Or was guessing the only thing I could do?

I did also later spot a sign towards the upper platforms for Excel centre which would have helped me had I spotted it - but if anyone wanted Beckton, for example, and didn't know that the Excel centre was on the same branch, this small sticker isn't much use.


Sorry for the long winded post

 

[maniacmartin]

Last time I wasn't there there wasn't a DLR departure board on the Jubilee platforms. The nearest one is on the DLR platform above it.

The problem here, which the signage doesn't really explain at all, is that the track layout is is such that all trains to/from Stratford must use the platforms by the bus station and all trains to/from central London must use the upstairs platform. Both sets of platforms are linked to both eastern branches though.

On some days, the timetable can be such that no services are run from the appropriate origin station of the platform you chose to use. Next time, always head upstairs first, as it generally seems to have trains to both of the eastern branches most of the time, and it isn't too much of a wasted trek if you've got it wrong.

 

[hassaanhc]

Not sure if this is the right subforum? I couldn't find a light rail specific one even though I was expecting to after the recent changes.

This had kind of turned into a story - sorry.

As a Londoner I was quite surprised today when I failed to identify the correct platform at Canning Town station.

I can't remember when the last time I used the DLR was, a long time ago certainly.
I arrived at Canning Town by Jubilee.
Was given two choices for the DLR for different platforms But there was no indication as to which platform I needed in order to get to Custom House.
I did spot a sign saying to look at the departure board but I couldn't find one!
In the end I just picked a direction and figured I'd sort it out when I got to the platform.

I chose down.

Having arrived on Platform 1 I identified a sign which clearly showed that Custom House could be reached from that platform.

At this point I had to wait for my sister I was meeting her there.
When she arrived she pointed out that all the trains due on that platform were heading to Woolwich. It was only at this point that I spotted the small departures screen and sussed out that we needed platform 3.

Is there a DLR departures screen on the Jubilee platforms that I missed? Or was guessing the only thing I could do?

I did also later spot a sign towards the upper platforms for Excel centre which would have helped me had I spotted it - but if anyone wanted Beckton, for example, and didn't know that the Excel centre was on the same branch, this small sticker isn't much use.


Sorry for the long winded post

There are a couple of screens by where the 4th car on an Eastbound Jubilee line lines up, and by one of the stairs leading to the lower platforms (front car from Jubilee Line), they alternate between showing service status and list of departures. In general, during the peaks all Beckton branch trains are every 8 minutes from upstairs only (Platform 3) but at other times they run every 10 minutes from both upstairs (Platform 3) and downstairs (Platform 1) giving a combined 5 minute frequency. During the peaks the downstairs trains (Stratford International branch) go to Woolwich instead helping out the every 10 minutes Bank services from upstairs, off peak all Woolwich trains are from upstairs. Tower Gateway and Bank services are always from upstairs.

I will agree that it is kinda confusing for anyone first arriving there, it took me a while to work out this pattern! IIRC the signs do say "Beckton via ExCeL". All platforms have a DMI each which does point out every few seconds which platforms to use for which branch, which changes depending on which platform you are on and the time of day. I do think they are programmed in a poor way though, as any scrolling messages (which those messages are) remove the next departure list, sometimes they last longer than how long the departures are displayed.

 

[DJL]

Last time I wasn't there there wasn't a DLR departure board on the Jubilee platforms. The nearest one is on the DLR platform above it.

The problem here, which the signage doesn't really explain at all, is that the track layout is is such that all trains to/from Stratford must use the platforms by the bus station and all trains to/from central London must use the upstairs platform. Both sets of platforms are linked to both eastern branches though.

On some days, the timetable can be such that no services are run from the appropriate origin station of the platform you chose to use. Next time, always head upstairs first, as it generally seems to have trains to both of the eastern branches most of the time, and it isn't too much of a wasted trek if you've got it wrong.

Thanks.

Fortunately I wasn't in a hurry so my annoyance was only minor.

It would certainly be helpful if they put some live info screens up on the Jubilee platforms.
Or light up signs like they have at Bank.

It's all very well telling people to check the departure boards but if you can't find them...


There were other direction signs that I found confusing as well. I can see why non-londoners complain about now.

 

[Aictos]

Sorry to be pedant but I was there this morning and found it easy enough apart from getting on the wrong DLR service but that was my fault not DLR's fault.

 

[jon0844]

I do think they are programmed in a poor way though, as any scrolling messages (which those messages are) remove the next departure list, sometimes they last longer than how long the departures are displayed.

Yes. Bit odd that. They can take a while going through weekend engineering, wet weather and which trains to take for ExCeL or London City airport, and all the while the top line is blank.

 

[Clip]

There are the video display screens that scroll through the TfL line service info and then tell you what platform for which service at the foot of the 1st set of escalators BUT there are also the standard signage that directs you to upstairs for Excel(Beckton) and LCA(Woolwich) rather than make you go down the underpass as there is one every 5 mins or so to each destination upstairs.

 

[tsr]

I do agree that the signage is perhaps not comprehensive enough at each stage. In fact, I was recently at Canning Town and heard a complaint of this nature from a passer-by who appeared to be a "normal" passenger and not in any way interested in why things were this way. They too were attempting to find the Beckton-bound trains.

Unfortunately, I generally travel on the DLR at times which are either very quiet or feature large numbers of regular commuters, so I have little experience of any usual niggles found by tourists and suchlike.

I agree that perhaps a simple sign could be used with a light-up arrow or platform number. Maybe a static board detailing the different routes, but with an electronic platform number for the next train, would be helpful. Scrolling through every station might take too long, and too many large dot-matrix boards with complex info could be overwhelming.

 

[hassaanhc]

Light up signs sound like a good idea, similar are used at places like Waterloo and North Greenwich where the entrance and exit route can be configured to suit the conditions. Only the Beckton and Woolwich Arsenal ones need to be like that, the Stratford International and Bank/Tower Gateway can be static.
Personally I think some should also go in the place of the large DMI at the foot of both DLR escalators, which just show the Jubilee Line and DLR service status with large blank spaces. Or just use that instead