On Sun, 11 Jan 2009 07:06:19 -0800 (PST), Mr Thant
wrote:

On 11 Jan, 12:37, Paul Corfield wrote:
There are two entrances from what I can tell from plans and photos.

There's an escalator heading west that takes you to one entrance
building by the town centre. There's another escalator heading east
that takes you to the other entrance building next door* to the NR
station entrance (only a short block west of the first entrance), and
this floor also has a footbridge over the NR line to the far NR
platform. East of the two escalators there's a set of stairs taking
you up to a floor that's level with the nearside NR platform, and in
turn has stairs up to the footbridge and exit level. Finally, there
are lifts at either end of the platform that take you up to the two
different entrance buildings.

Having been there and used both entrances and got them sort of aligned
with (my understanding of) the town centre I can see what they've done.
I didn't do a full exploration of the layout and certainly didn't see
how it connects up with National Rail. That can wait for another time.

There were a fair number of people trying the line out and I was
somewhat surprised at how many people were using London City Airport on
a Sunday. Other people milling about the town centre were certainly
noticing the fact that the line is now open.

For me the most obvious advantage - after a long slog to Canning Town by
bus - is that the DLR gives a good springboard on to a lot of buses in
Woolwich which spread out far and wide. It's also a pretty decent
interchange to the buses which is helpful.

It seems rather extravagant. They seem to have placed a very high
value on building the station a little further west to connect to the
town centre, rather than in the cutting alongside the railway station
(the tunnel portal is even further east) and having the entrance
there.

(* -ish. There's a listed building between them)

Well I take your point but I think it is sensible that it is properly
linked to the town centre and to the railway station. There'd be no
point building it and having the station stuck across a dual carriageway
road (by the actual Arsenal itself).

It's been a long while since I've been to Woolwich and I have to say
it's in need of a bit of a lift. Hopefully the DLR might make a
contribution by making it easier for people to get there.

--
Paul C