Access DLR

Pre-booked assistance

Our staff are trained to offer you assistance and support

The DLR offers a free travel assistance service called Access DLR for anyone 18 or older who needs extra support. It's available 7 days a week, 07:00-19:00.

As the DLR stations are not staffed assistance needs to be pre-booked, this can be done online or by phone. We recommend pre-booking this service at least 2 hours in advance.

Bookings are available in 30-minute time slots for one-way travel. Only the first half of each hour is available for bookings to allow staff travel time to reach their next appointment. If you need longer than 30 minutes you can book 2 consecutive time slots. Remember to also book your return journey if needed.

If the service is fully booked and your request cannot be accommodated, staff will inform you of the next available time slot they can assist you.

At the time of your booking, Access DLR staff in pink vests will meet you at your chosen meeting point and help with boarding, luggage (up to 10kg handheld, 23kg with wheels), transfers, finding a seat, and more. They can assist with mobility, sight, or non-visible impairments. If you prefer distance during the trip, let them know when booking or directly.

While our staff won't escort you on board other public transport operators, they will be able to support you to where you need to go to the gates of another TfL or National Rail station or to the nearest bus stop outside the station. When planning your journey, please check the options available for assistance across other transport modes.

The service is free to use and no proof of disability is required to use this service. However, please ensure that you are travelling with a valid ticket or Oyster card.

Access DLR can assist customers with various needs, including but not limited to:

• Luggage assistance - up to 10kg of handheld luggage or 23kg luggage on wheels. (There may be limitations if you require a staff member to also push a wheelchair)
• Boarding and alighting
• Transferring to other public transport lines
• Assistance relating to mobility, sight or non-visible impairments
• Help finding a seat

This is initially being run as a trial until November 2024. Based on the success of the trial, a decision will be made regarding the permanence of the service or whether to extend the trial further.

Please note that every station on the DLR has step-free access, there is a staff member onboard every train and there is also a passenger alarm on every platform which you can use to speak to our staff.