Tube Olympics 2016: Event 4- DLR Challenge

[tangy]

The TOSA here to announce event 4 of the 2016 Tube Olympics.

Event 4 will be held on Tuesday 19th July 2016, it will be a DLR challenge. Put simply, visit all 45 stations served the DLR system on a DLR train.

There will no formal meet up start station, you can start at any DLR station that suits you between 18:30:00 and 18:59:59- your stopwatch starts when the doors are locked closed prior to departure.

Normal DLR rules will be in force: www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubechallenge/dlrrules.htm if anyone needs a refresh of them.

After challenge meet up will be as usual- The Bricklayers Arms, Gresse Street (judging on the most likely finishing stations).

Thanks
Tangy- TOSA

[Going Underground]

Attending
GU

[RJSRdg]

Attending
GU
RJSRdg

[xcooler123]

Attending
GU
RJSRdg
xcooler123

[RJSRdg]

Looks like we could all be on for a medal at this rate....

Thought I'd finally found a sub-2 hour time but it starts 5 minutes after the window closes! One to try another time... (and no, starting it exactly an hour earlier doesn't work!)

[tufnellpark]

Attending
GU
RJSRdg
xcooler123
tufnellpark

[Going Underground]

Thanks goodness we are not doing Z1 or similar on Tuesday as temps forecast in the 30's

Also not sure if this stilll applies from the 2012 games...

"Trains from Bank do NOT stop at West India Quay, however this MUST be visited pass through is NOT acceptable......"

[michael_churchill]

Thanks goodness we are not doing Z1 or similar on Tuesday as temps forecast in the 30's

Also not sure if this stilll applies from the 2012 games...

"Trains from Bank do NOT stop at West India Quay, however this MUST be visited pass through is NOT acceptable......"

Interesting! There is no specific mention of West India Quay at http://www.explorerticket.co.uk/tubecha ... rrules.htm, but wouldn't normal rules dictate that if any trains stop at a station you must use one that does. Only complete station closure, emergency or otherwise, would allow a pass-through. It is more like a full network challenge where you can't use a fast Metropolitan train that doesn't stop at every station. The one time I've done a DLR challenge I assumed that you'd have to reach West India Quay on a Bank-bound train.

[tangy]

That rule is still place but the timetable has changed. It was the case four years ago that Lewisham bound trains did not call at WIQ on weekdays (but still called at weekends) but on the latest timetables, which has more movements over the flat Delta junction ALL Bank TO Lewisham trains do not call WIQ and there only one southbound platform (served only by Stratford via Bow Church trains). The old platform space was used to bring the by-pass line back up to the level of the other tracks.

In the northbound direction, there is still two platforms (one for Bank and one for Stratford via Bow Church) and all trains call to both destinations.

I admit it is not very clear on the Tube Maps or the line diagram inside DLR trains (both of which only mention this as a footnote). So please consider the above in your route planning. I will add this to the DLR rules page on Explorer Ticket just to make it clear.

[RJSRdg]

What about Lewisham-Bank trains?

[greatkingrat]

Trains from

Lewisham to Bank
Canary Wharf to Stratford
Stratford to Canary Wharf

all call at West India Quay, it is only Bank to Lewisham trains that do not.

[RJSRdg]

Thanks - that's what I thought!

[tractakid]

I'm going to pass on this one. Too hot to be heading to the big smoke.

[RJSRdg]

Another "interesting" experience where getting there proved to be almost as much of a challenge as the event itself.

TravelineSouthEast suggested three trains from Reading would get me to Paddington in time to get across to Beckton for my preferred start time without having to leave work too ridiculoulsy early - 16.27, 16.35 and 16.45. I originally opted for the 16.35 as this apparently fed nicely into the Circle to Tower Hill and thence DLR to Beckton. However as the afternoon went on, I became aware of heat issues and delayed trains on the line to Padd so opted for the 16.27 instead to give me more time. Got to Reading to find that the 16.27 was cancelled, and the 16.35 was on time! It was however subject to a delay of about 10 minutes en route, meaning I arrived at Padd when the 16.45 should have got in. TSE had said that fro the 16.45, I needed to catch the Circle to Westminster thence Jubilee to Canning Town and DLR, however the Circle was also subject to issues so I ended up catching the District to Earl's Court and doubling back to Westminster. By now I was beginning to worry if I would make my preferred start time, but when I boarded the DLR at Canning Town I had made the time up. At Canning Town I met Tangy, who pointed out that the event window opened at 18.30, not 18.00 as I had imagined, ruling out the good route I had starting at 18.28!

My only other prepared route started at 19.05 (also outside the window!) and at one point I toyed with starting the clock at Gallions just before 19.00 and doubling back at Beckton as the route was good enough that even wasting 10 minutes on that would have been a good time.

At Beckton we met Clive, who informed us that trains between Lewisham and Woolwich (and vice versa) were all delayed, at which point I decided it might be worth trying my 18.28 route after all, only starting it at 18.36 as it might be possible to catch a delayed Lewisham train (or even a slightly delayed Greenwich) at Woolwich. So we all watched the 18.28 depart at 18.29 (one more minute!) and set off at 18.36.

I bade goodbye to Clive and Tangy at Canning Town and after getting slightly confused by the signage (or lack of it!) found my way to the other platforms for the Stratford International service. Quick nip up to SI and double back to Stratford, where more poor signage delayed me slightly but not enough to miss the next train to Canary wharf, which I stayed on as far as Poplar, with a quick nip over the platform and on to a Woolwich train. I arrived at Woolwich 8-10 minutes down on my original timings (depending on which clock you looked at) so could have made the Greenwich train if it was slightly delayed but the main line platforms were closed in both directions owing to an 'incident'. Nipped outside to see what buses were running and found a bus for Lewisham. Hopped on it to be stuck in a queue of five buses in what must be one of the most un-co-operative sets of traffic lioghts I have ever come across, only letting one bus through on each cycle. On the way eventually but stopping at nearley every stop and taking somewhat of a mystery tour through parts of London I'd never seen before like Blackheath, the bus eventually terminated at Lewsisham shopping centre. Again no obvious signage to the DLR and I got lost slightly but found the station and hopped on the next Bank train, exactly 2 hours after the start and 44 minutes after arriving in Woolwich!

The Bank train wasn't exactly quick so exactly 2 and a half hours had elapsed by the time it terminated and a 4 minute wait for the return to Shadwell didn't help. At Shadwell, had to wait for two Bank trains to pass before a Tower Gateway arrived (by which time Kevin had turned up on the platform), so completed the challenge in a rather pathetic 2:45:09.

Headed back to the Brickies to give Tangy my time to find everyone else already there, so was surprised when Tangy told me "I'll give you your medal on Saturday!"". I'll leave it to him to tell you which one it is....

[tufnellpark]

It was hot, hot, hot. So hot that Woolwich Arsenal station self combusted, South Eastern and Southern trains ground to a halt and tractakid stayed at home.

Still the DLR challenge was on and started at a relatively cool Beckton at 18:37. Richard and Tangy went their separate ways as I headed for Poplar, then Stratford and ran through Westfield to International, just making my DLR connection to Woolwich Arsenal. On finding the main line station closed, I swerved the fire engines and like Richard, decided on a bus. My choice of a 53 to Deptford Bridge via Charlton and Blackheath was a good one with a 16min journey time. Then Lewisham, Bank and Tower Gateway to finish in a time of 2:15:14, including about 20mins of delays. Quite surprised to win my first gold but fortunately others had encountered the same problems.

This was nothing compared to trying to get home on Southern Fail. My trains back to Lewes are hourly and they cancelled two in a row. There were also no Brighton trains. One train headed to Worthing, so an emergency call to Mrs B taxi service saw me arrive home about 12:30. These delays have been going on for six months now, with only 60% of Southern trains arriving on time. Cancellations, emergency timetables, no information, it really is time GoVia were stripped of their franchise.

On to the big one. Friday and the Full Network Challenge with xcooler123. Anyone else starting at Chesham?