Tower Gateway is a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station near the Tower of London. It is situated in the Tower ward of the City of London. It adjoins the tracks to Fenchurch Street station and is located on the site of a former station called Minories. Tower Gateway is within London fare zone 1.
It is a short walk from both Tower Hill tube station and Fenchurch Street. Access at street level from the Minories is via escalator, stairs or lift at the western end of the station. A pedestrian crossing connects the station with Tower Hill station, its closest London Underground connection. A narrow secondary staircase entrance at the eastern end of the platform, improved considerably in the early 2000s, descends to Mansell Street. It serves the eastern edge of the City of London financial district and development around St Katharine Docks.
History
It was opened in 1987 as the western terminus of the initial DLR system and the station closest to central London.
The underground extension to Bank, which opened in 1991, diverges from the original route between Tower Gateway and Shadwell, the next station to the east. It dives down a steep ramp not far from the eastern end of the platforms, from which it is clearly visible. Tower Gateway is the terminus for the less busy service to Beckton. Journeys to other branches of the DLR normally require a change.
In keeping with the DLR's original basic lightweight philosophy, Tower Gateway is a simple elevated terminus. As built it had two tracks and a cross-over. When the extension to Bank opened, its importance was substantially reduced. Before reconstruction it had a fairly narrow central platform, and a single track leading from the main route to a set of points immediately prior to the platforms.
Further major alterations began on 30 June 2008. The station reopened on 2 March 2009, rebuilt as a single-track terminus to enable three-car trains with a platform on each side of the train, one for arriving passengers and the other for departures (the Spanish solution).
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The entrance to the station in 1988.
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The original platforms, with the throat of
Fenchurch Street railway station to the right.
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View from the re-modelled station looking east, with Fenchurch Street approach tracks to the left.
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View of the re-modelled station looking west to buffers.
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Looking east past the buffers towards a train awaiting departure.
Future
A Transport Supporting Paper released by the office of the Mayor of London envisages the closure of Tower Gateway DLR station and the branch serving it, with a replacement interchange being provided via new platforms at Tower Hill tube station. The reasoning is given that currently, 90 per cent of DLR City passengers use Bank station, but only 75 per cent of services go there; this would increase service to Bank from 23tph to 30tph, thereby unlocking more capacity on the Bank branch.[8]
Connections
London Buses routes 42, 78, 100 and RV1 and night route N551 serve the station.[9]
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4.780 million[3]
1.344 million[5]
London transport portal
