Cutty Sark station reopenedyesterday after a 10-month closure to replace all its escalators.
(that's all you need to know) (read on for background detail, jazz and cupcakes)
Cutty Sark station opened on 3rd September 1999 as part of the DLR's Lewisham extension. It had been dropped from the original plans for being too expensive, but Greenwich council insisted and the money was found. It's on a tightly confined town centre site, three storeys deep, hence the need for two sets of escalators to connect the platforms to street level. And those escalators weren't especially well maintained by a private contractor, thus were increasingly frequently out of order. Alternative access via stairwells and a tiny lift proved unpleasant and ultimately inadequate, especially for a busy station in a key tourist area. When TfL took responsibility in 2021 they spent £695,000 on repairs, which repeatedly failed, so eventually decided the only solution was to shut the station and replace all four escalators. The £4m renovation project that kicked off in May 2025 is now complete.
Cutty Facts
• The stairwell at Cutty Sark has 121 steps.
• Cutty Sark is (usually) the 5th busiest DLR station.
• Cutty Sark has (by far) the shortest platforms on the DLR, at 59½m.
• Cutty Sark is the 2nd-deepest DLR station (20m down, whereas Bank is 40m).
• 'Cutty Sark (for Maritime Greenwich)' is the longest name of any DLR station.
Yes they are very nice escalators, better than the creaky shonky things that were here before. These are the main pair from the platforms up to the mid-level concourse, then another set takes you to the street. Look, if you visit on the day the station reopens it's possible to get a photograph with nobody standing on them. I believe they're a tad narrower than your average escalator but that's cut-price millennial engineering for you. They're now that clever modern standard that doesn't run at full speed when empty so should last longer as well as being more efficient. They were manufactured in Slovenia by vertical transportation company Schindler, in case that should ever come up in a pub quiz.
While the station was closed they also took the opportunity to improve other aspects:
» A new lift (still small but quicker and more reliable)
» LED lighting throughout (yes, definitely brighter and more pleasant)
» White wall coverings throughout (when in doubt, slap a cover on)
» A new fire detection system (hopefully never required)
» Raised ceiling above the two upper escalators (can't say I noticed)
» New local artwork celebrating the local area (about that...)
They say artwork but it's more advert. Two large floor-to-ceiling panels are emblazoned with photos of local tourist attractions like the park, the Royal Observatory, the Painted Hall and the marathon. To be fair it is very attractive and there is a world-class embarrassment of riches hereabouts, hence why Visit Greenwich were involved in its installation. But when TfL say 'art' they normally mean high-level concept-driven creative excellence, and this is more a promotional photographic showcase. Fair enough.
The LED lights are doing a great job compared to the relative gloom experienced previously. Also the platform areas are brighter, what with white panels covering every surface. But what's less bright, indeed seemingly untouched, are the outer walls on the far side of the tracks. These weren't touched during the upgrade because trains continued to pass through the station at speed, so still look distinctly grubby in comparison. Another eerie touch is that none of the adverts have been changed since the station closed, indeed for a lot longer that that. One of the largest ads is for Eurostar and promotes swift travel to the 2024 Olympic Games ("Proudly taking Team GB and ParalympicGB to Paris"). On the opposite platform is an ad for the "sparkling rom-com" Fly Me To The Moon featuring Scarlett Johansson, and when it says "in cinemas everywhere July 11" that again means 2024, so it's all disturbingly throwback.
The weird thing about Cutty Sark is that you tap your card halfway up, or halfway down depending. The ticket machine's on the street but you won't see a validator until you've gone down the first flight and entered a large elliptical concourse. It is thus easy to miss, especially if you've taken the stairwell, and I bet many passengers exiting the station also fail to touch out. I bet they're not expecting cupcakes either.
The cupcake window was extremely brief and part of a special reopening ceremony yesterday morning. Two ladies in identical belted jackets stood beside a small table over which was draped a DLR-blue tablecloth, presiding over the distribution of celebratory sweet treats. Several trays of chunky cream-topped freebies awaited anyone wandering by, which proved very welcome, any dietary concerns addressed in asterisked smallprint displayed alongside. Each cupcake had a DLR logo on top neatly printed on rice paper. I note they were baked by an outfit in Manchester called Candy's Cupcakes, not locally sourced, which may be useful information if you ever need an inexpensive gimmick for your own sponsored PR shindig.
And that wasn't all. The concourse was full of people, most of whom had either been involved in the project or were employed by the company that runs the DLR. They're called Keolis Amey and they do all the operational stuff, generally behind the scenes but on this occasion had come out to applaud themselves. One of the main project managers was rightly pleased they'd managed to reopen the station earlier than expected and gave a bit of a speech thanking everyone involved. The big KA boss also gave a speech and although he wasn't quite as loud he too praised the construction team, the project team and everyone in the wider community. Several members of the wider community weaved through the event to reach their train or reach the surface, some clearly peeved by the unexpected blockage, others easily assuaged by a cupcake.
And then there was the jazz. A group of purple-shirted students from Trinity Laban had been invited to perform at the event and they were fantastic. They did two numbers, easing into a percussive beat and then swaying to a loud brassy rhythm, their music reverberating around the concourse. I'm not sure they had any direct link to the project other than ticking the 'community' box, but thanks to them it did feel like a celebration rather than a backslapping exercise. Maybe more impromptu musical performances should be hosted here, the acoustics are great, also if you're ever thinking of taking up an instrument then brass looks a lot more exciting than strings or wind.
Not only is Cutty Sark station now open again but it's also reappeared on the tube map, online version at least. I can confirm that using the station is now a more pleasant experience and hopefully a more reliable one. Just don't come expecting jazz or cupcakes because they were a one-off. And don't come this weekend because the entire Lewisham branch is closed, which I'm afraid is the downside of reopening a station earlier than expected.
