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From the Front Seat of the DLR to Driving Investment

Last week, travelling from a meeting at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to another in the City, I found myself enjoying public transport with the joy of a seven-year-old—pretending to drive the Docklands Light Railway.

(Judge me if you must.)

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For those who don’t know, the DLR is a driverless metro system—nearly 40 years old—originally built to connect Canary Wharf with the City. Over the years, it’s seen multiple extensions, including one to Stratford ahead of the 2012 Olympics. Abba fans may recognise it as the line that serves Pudding Mill Lane, the largest station on the network and gateway to the spectacular Abba Voyage show.

And yes—the best part is still sitting at the front and pretending you’re the driver. Small joys, but meaningful ones.

But while the DLR may evoke nostalgia, it’s also revealing deeper, more serious tensions—this time within the Labour Party. As debates over welfare reform highlight divisions between Keir Starmer and his MPs, the DLR extension has exposed a rift between Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Chancellor.

The Mayor has been clear in his disappointment with Rachel Reeves for excluding London infrastructure from the recent spending review—particularly the proposed extension of the DLR to Thamesmead. He argues, rightly, that the project would unlock 30,000 much-needed homes and generate economic growth along its route.

After eight years of a strained relationship with the Conservative government, it’s striking to see the Mayor accusing his own party of having “got it wrong.” At a recent Greater London Assembly meeting, he went further, calling the omission of the DLR extension a “continuation of pitting London against the rest of the country.”

Perhaps that language had an impact. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander—a former deputy mayor for transport and long-time ally of Sadiq Khan—has since acknowledged the potential of the project. She’s now committed to working with City Hall to finalise a full business case, recognising the housing and economic benefits at stake.

This is important for the newish Labour government. If it’s serious about delivering housing and growth, London must be part of the plan. Like it or not, the capital remains the UK’s most powerful engine of growth—and projects like the DLR extension, or the long-overdue redevelopment of Stratford Station, are among the most efficient ways to unlock it.

There are no pretend drivers here. For the first time in nearly a decade, London and national government could finally be aligned. It doesn’t matter who sits up front in the driver’s seat—the future of the UK depends on London pulling forward. And that requires real, sustained investment.

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