| Shotgun front seat! Why we love the DLR The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) was formally opened on 30 July 1987 by Queen Elizabeth II. Just a few months before this, during testing, a DLR train had smashed through the barriers at Island Gardens, leaving it dangling over a 20-ft drop.
Still, we've been in love with the DLR ever since. Maybe it's the way it snakes around the basins and skyscrapers of the Docklands like the world's gentlest rollercoaster. Perhaps it's the Barry White-voiced train staff. Or how it takes you past lesser-appreciated landmarks, like the highest church clock in London.
Then of course, there's the unadulterated thrill of sitting at the front and pretending to drive. This became all the more realistic recently, with the addition of stick-on 'control panels'. And if you REALLY like playing driver, we recommend you buy this exclusive Londonist t-shirt.
More drastic changes are afoot on the DLR. New stock is about to be rolled out — and it matches the colour of the line! Meanwhile, it looks like Thamesmead will finally be invited to join the DLR party... well, by the 2030s, anyway. | 
