Editing Docklands Light Railway (section)

===Extension to Greenwich & Lewisham (1996–1999)===
Early on, [[Lewisham London Borough Council]] commissioned a feasibility study into extending the system under the [[River Thames]]. This led the council to advocate an extension via [[Greenwich]] and [[Deptford]], terminating at [[Lewisham station|Lewisham railway station]].<ref name='Chriswol'>{{Cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/crucial-links-hold-key-to-the-future--docklands-a-special-report-1569645.html |first=Christian |last=Wolmar |title=Crucial links hold key to the future: Docklands, a special report |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |access-date=24 June 2009 |location=London |date=25 January 1995 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126144438/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/crucial-links-hold-key-to-the-future--docklands-a-special-report-1569645.html |archive-date=26 January 2012 }}</ref> The ambitions of the operators were supported by politicians in Parliament, including the future [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] Deputy Prime Minister [[John Prescott]], and [[Lord Whitty]].<ref name="history one" /><ref name="Chriswol2">{{Cite news |last=Wolmar |first=Christian |date=25 January 1995 |title=Crucial links hold key to the future: Docklands, a special report |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/crucial-links-hold-key-to-the-future--docklands-a-special-report-1569645.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126144438/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/crucial-links-hold-key-to-the-future--docklands-a-special-report-1569645.html |archive-date=26 January 2012 |access-date=24 June 2009 |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |location=London}}</ref> The extension would be [[DBFO|designed, built, financed and maintained]] by a private consortium as a [[Private finance initiative]], with Government contributing around £50 million of the £200 million construction cost.<ref name=":42">{{Cite web |last=Butcher |first=Louise |date=4 May 2010 |title=Railways: Docklands Light Railway (DLR) |url=https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN00415/SN00415.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150609175238/http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN00415/SN00415.pdf |archive-date=2015-06-09 |access-date=7 Feb 2025 |website=[[House of Commons Library]] |pages=2-3}}</ref> 

Construction began in 1996, with the extension opening ahead of schedule on 20 November 1999.<ref name=":42" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=De Haan |first=Judy |date=29 August 2000 |title=Getting Back on the Right Track (letter to the editor) |url=http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/344110.credit_crunch_shows_signs_of_easing |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120503100311/http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/344110.credit_crunch_shows_signs_of_easing/ |archive-date=3 May 2012 |access-date=25 June 2009 |newspaper=[[The Bolton News]]}}</ref> It left the Island Gardens route south of the [[Crossharbour DLR station|Crossharbour]] turn-back sidings, and dropped gently to {{stl|DLR|Mudchute}}, where a street-level station replaced the high-level one on the former [[London and Blackwall Railway|London & Blackwall Railway]] viaduct. The line then entered a tunnel, following the route of the viaduct to a shallow subsurface station at {{stl|DLR|Island Gardens}}, accessible by stairs or a lift. It crossed under the Thames to {{stl|DLR|Cutty Sark}} in the centre of Greenwich, and surfaced at [[Greenwich station|Greenwich railway station]], with cross-platform interchange between the northbound track and the London-bound [[Greenwich Line|main line]]. The line snaked on a concrete viaduct to {{stl|DLR|Deptford Bridge}}, before descending to {{stl|DLR|Elverson Road}} at street level, close to Lewisham town centre, terminating in two platforms between and below the main-line platforms at Lewisham railway station, with buses stopping outside the station.<ref name=":14">{{Cite book |last=Pearce |first=Alan |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/456423124 |title=Docklands Light Rail : official handbook |date=2000 |publisher=Capital Transport |others=Brian Hardy, Colin Stannard |isbn=1-85414-223-2 |edition=4th |location=Harrow |page= |oclc=456423124}}</ref> The extension quickly proved profitable.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/Search?searchTerm=DLR+helps+Mowlem+ride+high+at+%5Bpound%5D25+million.(Statistical+Data+Included)&searchType=Article&currentPage=0&orderBy=|title=DLR helps Mowlem ride high at £25&nbsp;million|last=Withers|first=Malcolm|date=8 March 2001|newspaper=London Evening Standard|access-date=25 June 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025214828/http://www.highbeam.com/Search?searchTerm=DLR+helps+Mowlem+ride+high+at+%5bpound%5d25+million.(Statistical+Data+Included)&searchType=Article&currentPage=0&orderBy=|archive-date=25 October 2012}}</ref>