Livingstone bores for the Olympics

Mayor of London Ken Livingstone has started the tunnelling that will form a major part of the 2.5km, £180 million Docklands Light Railway (DLR) Woolwich Arsenal extension.

The extension, part of Transport for London’s (TfL) five-year, £10 billion investment programme, is being designed and constructed by AMEC, the international project management and services company, on behalf of Woolwich Arsenal Rail Enterprises (WARE).

The Mayor launched Carla, the 540-tonne boring machine that will be used to connect DLR King George V station to the heart of Woolwich town centre. The DLR Woolwich Arsenal station will be situated alongside the existing mainline station and open in early 2009.

Mayor Ken Livingstone said, “All over London we are starting to see the work starting on the massive investment programme in our public transport system, and the Woolwich Arsenal extension will be a vital new transport link that will regenerate the local area and play an important role during the 2012 London Olympic Games.”