Key Points:

• Cutty Sark DLR Station has reopened earlier than expected following a 10 month period of maintenance.
• New improvements include four new escalators, a new lift, improved lighting, a new fire detection system, a raised ceiling and new artwork featuring Greenwich staples.
• Local residents have expressed frustration at disruption to local travel during the long maintenance period, while some are glad to have more DLR options in Greenwich.
• Cutty Sark is part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is a key attraction in the heart of Greenwich.
• Prior to the work, passengers had to use 121 steps to get to and from the platform.
• The project is reported to have costed around £5.2 Mn 
• DLR service between Bank and Tower Gateway will be closed on the 28th and 29th of March, according to The Standard.

Greenwich (South London News, March 23, 2026) – The Cutty Sark DLR station has reopened after a 10 month period of maintenance designed to replace the 25 year-old escalator system. Key changes include, a new lift, brighter LED lighting and fire detection systems, as well as new artwork in collaboration with Visit Greenwich featuring staples such as Henry the VIII. While the station was closed, residents told South London News that they had to use the Greenwich DLR station, located around a 10 minute walk away. Cutty Sark, considered part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a key attraction for tourism within Greenwich.

What Caused the Cutty Sark Station DLR Closure?

From the 31st of May 2025, all of Cutty Sark Station DLR’s escalators were out of order, meaning passengers had to walk 121 steps to reach the station’s platforms. As widely reported by South London’s press, the escalators experienced periodical breakdowns in the three years leading up to their replacement.

In late 2024, no escalators were working meaning passengers largely switched to the Greenwich DLR station. In an FOI request submitted in May of 2024, TFL explained that closures were due to a switchover of responsibility of maintenance from City Greenwich Lewisham (CLG) Rail, a private company that was responsible for the maintenance of Cutty Sark Station DLR from 1999 until early 2021. After the handover, TFL assessment found  needed repairs were more extensive than previously thought.

Assembly Member for Greenwich and Lewisham, Lord Duvall OBE AM said:

“It’s fantastic to see this major upgrade at Cutty Sark station DLR being delivered earlier than expected, meaning Londoners and visitors will soon be able to enjoy quicker and easier journeys to and from Greenwich town centre. The Mayor and I feel strongly that everyone should be able to enjoy everything our great city has to offer, so public transport network improvements like this are vital as we continue building a fairer, greener, better London for everyone.”

How long was the closure?

The 10 month maintenance was reported by The Standard as being one of the most complex escalator replacement schemes ever undertaken in London costing around £5.2 Mn but opened earlier than expected this morning.

In late 2024, during one of the station’s routine closures, TFL cited issues with producing parts due to the COVID-19 pandemic as a key delay in the maintenance and replacement of the frequently out-of-order escalators. Previously, the mid-life overhaul of these escalators was said to cost £845,695, according to an FOI request responded to by TFL in 2024.

Director of Rail at TFL, Trish Ashton, said:

“We’re delighted to announce that an improved Cutty Sark station will reopen earlier than expected on Monday 23 March, ready to welcome customers back through newly modernised and more reliable station facilities.”

What do residents think of Cutty Sark’s Opening?

A local resident, Ayush, said:

“Now Cutty Sark is open, I’m feeling very free to go anywhere, I like to travel.

“I’m glad it’s open now, I’m looking forward to June and enjoying the summer hopefully.”

He said.

Ayush said:

“Now I can invite my friends, my family who live across London.”

Ayush added he had even found more employment opportunities, he said: “I’m a student myself.

“People doing part-time jobs – they struggle a lot with time management, so now if I apply for a job and they ask me how much time [is the commute], and I can say I have the DLR right next to my home.”

He said.

Another local resident, Spencer, found the closures had been both lengthy and inconvenient. He said:

“[For] many of the eatery facilities here, [I] have to walk 15 minutes there and back, because I live across the river, it has been quite a challenge.”

He said:

“It’s definitely opening up the local area, I think independent places must have suffered over the last nine months, I can only speak for myself but there’s been a lot of times I just haven’t come to Greenwich because it [Cutty Sark Station DLR] has been closed.”

He explained that the amount of maintenance done for the time taken was surprising. Spencer said:

“I was speaking to my sister about this. We’re quite surprised that it’s only been the escalators. We thought it was going to be a complete redoing like Bank Station. “I don’t know what the budget comparison is but we were a little bit surprised that it was just the escalators that needed doing.”

A third resident, Tom, said:

“A lot of South London is not very well connected but Greenwich is good. You can get buses to anywhere.

“[In relation to Cutty Sark] The only difference is that it’s a shorter walk from here to Greenwich, but I was keen for this to reopen – it just makes my life a bit easier.

“It’s quite a long wait considering [the maintenance], but these things take time don’t they?”

Tom added that he planned to use the station later today, Tom said:

“Most of my friends live North of the river these days, so I can get to East London in about 20 minutes now.”

Why is Cutty Sark So Important to Greenwich?

The area of Cutty Sark gained its name after a British clipper that transported goods across the world between 1870 and 1922, it was later known as the Portuguese “Ferreira” according to Royal Museums Greenwich.

The Dowmans family purchased the Cutty Sark and restored the ship, and it opened as a cadet training ship and visitor attraction in 1924. In 1949 the Cutty Sark ship was offered a permanent home in Greenwich by the London County Council, which would give the area its distinctive name and feel today.

Will Cutty Sark Station DLR Close Again?

The DLR service from Bank and Tower Gateway is planned to shut on the 28th and 29th of March as new fleet trains are tested, according to reporting by The Standard. While it will reopen on  Monday, March 30th.

The reopening of Cutty Sark is in time for the London Marathon, in which miles six to seven will take place in Greenwich.

What was the impact of its closure?

While Cutty Sark Station DLR station was closed, TFL estimated that around 92% of visitors used the Greenwich Station DLR as the main alternative for the DLR line between Bank and Lewisham.

Visit Greenwich, worked closely with TFL and the Borough of Greenwich to keep the impact on tourism minimal. In May of 2025, a Royal Borough of Greenwich spokesperson said:

“We welcome the news of improvement works to Cutty Sark DLR station. The escalator replacement will ensure a fully accessible station for all users for many years to come. In the meantime, there are many other ways to get to and from Greenwich including buses, mainline rail stations and riverboat services. Greenwich town centre is always open. We’re working closely with local businesses and our tourism partners to make sure the impact of the closure is as minimal as possible. As a UNESCO world heritage, millions of people come to Greenwich to visit its world-famous park, observatory and other attractions every year, so we’ll be exploring all the ways we can work with TfL and others to keep our town centre the vibrant, bustling corner of London that people know and love.”