Westferry DLR station

Location and layout

The stop occupies an elevated position on the former alignment of historic rail infrastructure. To the west, the next mainline interchange is Limehouse station. Immediately to the east the DLR track divides: one route continues toward Poplar station and onward branches, while the other leads to West India Quay station and the waterside business district. The station has platforms typical of urban light-rail stops and is integrated into the surrounding streetscape so passengers can walk to nearby streets and bus services.

History and development

Westferry was constructed on the trackbed of the disused London and Blackwall Railway (L&BR), which originally linked central London with the docks. The area around the station has long been associated with maritime trade and dockland activity; as the Port of London was redeveloped in the late 20th century the Docklands Light Railway reused old rail alignments to provide rapid transit. Westferry thus represents a modern light-rail insertion into an older industrial corridor.

Services and connections

Passengers at Westferry can catch frequent DLR services that connect residential neighbourhoods of east London with employment centres. The station offers a convenient walking interchange to nearby stations and bus routes for onward journeys. Because it sits on the DLR network close to a branching junction, it is served by trains on multiple DLR routes depending on destination and time of day.

Surroundings and significance

Westferry is a practical access point for local amenities and a short walk from several notable sites. Nearby civic and historic landmarks include Limehouse Police Station and St Anne’s Church, the latter designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and noted locally for its prominent clock tower. The station helps link riverside developments, offices, and residential schemes with greater London, and it illustrates how former dockland rail infrastructure has been repurposed for modern urban transport.

Practical information

• Fare zone: Zone 2.
• Nearby rail interchanges: Limehouse.
• Immediate DLR neighbours: Poplar (east branch) and West India Quay (alternative east branch).
• Historical alignment: built on the course of the London and Blackwall Railway.