But it also has some drawbacks, of course. Its size does not allow the movement of large aircraft, so all flights arriving there are small to medium range, with medium or even small airliners and supply is scarce. As an example, of dozens of daily flights linking Madrid to London, only one or two fly to London City Airport. In addition, they tend to be more expensive than flying to Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton or Stansted.
The truth is that any neophyte visitors rarely visit the London Docklands. Unless you fly to LCY, or attend an event (sports, music, ...) in the O2 or the ExCeL London, or has been in the London 2012 Olympic Games (or has visited the newly opened Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Olympic venues in Stratford), or has traveled to some of the labor offices of Canary Wharf, the Docklands will not be on the agenda of someone visiting for the first time.
The Docklands, east London, are recovering from a territory traditionally dedicated to port activities, and gradually fallen into disuse and oblivion. His recovery began with creation, a couple of decades, the business district in Canary Wharf (with a good supply of offices, hotels, restaurants, ...) with the lure of water that surrounds ago. Your revalidation was the creation of the Olympic site in Stratford in 2012, a little northeast of the Docklands themselves.
With the aim of which was in place for the opening of the Olympic Games in 2012, the city decided to build a cable car to cross the Thames in that area, with more travel or less north-south. Its initial aim was twofold: to integrate a model of the city public transport (Metro - Underground or Tube - DLR, London Overground, ...) as offering more to cross the river on the east; and, secondly, to become a tourist attraction for visitors.
As did the City of London with other special facilities (such as the London Eye or Millenium Dome), a sponsor to fund at least a portion of the cable car, so that did not involve a significant outlay for municipal budgets was sought. Thus was born, sponsored by Emirates Airline, today called the Emirates Air Line.
The construction budget is said that the environment was 60 million pounds, of which one part comes from sponsorship of Emirates, the rest must be financed through user fees. He is currently integrated into Transport for London, the company that manages all public transport in the city.
The cable car is currently in operation, except for one week a year (usually in the second half of March) when he stops for necessary maintenance. My visit to London in 2013 coincided precisely with that stop, but on my last visit, in early April 2014, I could take away the thorn of flying over the Docklands in the Emirates Air Line.
The railway, built by Central European experts Doppelmayr, has a length of just over a mile (1,100 meters) and stands at the junction of the Thames, up to 90 meters high. The cabins, number 34, can accommodate up to 10 passengers each (including the possibility of transporting bikes). It could transport up to 2500 passengers per hour, but its use, so far, has rarely exceeded environment of 20,000 passengers per week.
The cable car has two terminals: the south, Emirates Greenwich Peninsula, very close to O2 and North Greenwich tube station (Jubilee Line, Zone 2 pricing); north, the Emirates Royal Docks, very close to the Royal Victoria Docks (DLR, zone 3) station and relatively close to ExCeL London.
The rates seem relatively expensive. The one-way trip costs 4.30GBP (Great Britain Pounds, pounds sterling usual), and exactly twice the return trip (8.60GBP). For those who have the Oyster card or Travelcard Day, a discount of around 25% (; 6.40GBP to 3.20GBP roundtrip for travel in one direction) is obtained. There are reduced for children and for regular users prices. A card for 10 trips costing 16GBP (a 1.60GBP the way), and the same price applies to Oyster users performing 5 or more trips a week. It is said that there are only four (4) users to benefit from this reduction.
For the regular user of public transport in London, the Emirates Air Line is not competitive (unless required to be done explicitly, and only the journey that takes the cable car). If you link to other media, it is much better (and cheaper) to directly address the Jubilee Line or DLR (according to another part of the river is a u).
And its projection as a tourist attraction is very limited. Among other reasons, because the Docklands itself, as I have explained, rarely form part of the agenda of the casual visitor. Would be quite different, of course, that the cable car crossing the Thames in the area of Parliament or the Tower of London.
In my case, I am a visitor reiterated London. I try every year, at least spend a few days in town. This brings me to pursue the news, as I have already visited in some time as usual. And, moreover, I always like anything that involves elevated above the surroundings and have a different view of the city. Unfortunately for the city of London, for Transport for London and the Emirates itself, my visitor profile is clearly very minor.
This year, I designed a rail trip between late March and early April, which included (among other destinations) Paris and London. I arrived in London aboard a Eurostar from Paris before nine in the morning of Tuesday, April 1. He had chosen a fairly cheap hotel in the area of King's Cross / St. Pancras (the Eurostar to London St Pancras station). A little more than 200 meters walk to the station, the Hotel Montana Excel (Argyle Square) offered me a rate of 105GBP for two nights, with breakfast included. A price for London is more than breaded.
Euston Road, the broad avenue that runs in front of the two stations, is the boundary of the Congestion Charge zone, the special municipal tax paid by vehicles on the core of the city. This means that crossing it, the side streets are extremely quiet with very little car traffic. Taking for Crestfield Street, a hundred meters you arrive at Argyle Square, a haven of peace with its central park and surrounded by traditional houses, most have been converted into hotels of different categories and prices.
After leaving the luggage at the hotel (at that time still could not fill the room), I waited until nine-thirty to buy a Day Travelcard for off peak zones 1 to 6 8.90GBP. Before that time, the same card costs 17GBP, although 9GBP can get one that covers only zones 1 and 2, the most common, it said, by the way, why a visitor to the city moves.
I went straight in the Metro, North Greenwich on the Jubilee Line. There I came to the surface near the O2 (I have said on another occasion my visit there). After a short walk, to the right of O2 and following the directions, I came to the Emirates Greenwich Peninsula terminal, which is situated at the end of a large area of surface parking.
I was certainly exceptional, as travelers were absent. I ordered a box office round-trip ticket. I was offered for a little over an additional pound, the opportunity to visit what they call Experience Aviation, an annex to the terminal itself, dedicated to the world of commercial aviation. In the end, I paid for the ticket 7.80GBP return by cable car, plus the extension of that mini-museum.
Directly and without any glue or agglomeration, of course, I approached one of the solo cabins (with capacity for 10 passengers, remember), for the outward journey. The speed of the cable car is about 6 m / s, so the distance between the two terminals lasts just over three minutes. It is first raised to 90 meters, crossing the Thames. The views are very interesting, because the entire area is under development, there are many construction and landscape changes with some frequency. The aerial view of O2 is exceptional, and the Thames Barrier, which regulates the flow of the river.
Later, the water arm of the Royal Docks intersects with the London City Airport in the distance. The cabin goes down, until arriving at the North Terminal, Emirates Royal Docks. At that time mid-morning, the area was practically deserted. Are there many offices and hotels, as well as some residential buildings privileged environment, and bars and restaurants offering more or less fast food, especially for those who work there. Were also being prepared with several trucks and vans offer sandwiches, burgers, ice cream, etc.
As had got up early a lot this morning in Paris, I had some hunger, so in one of the open cafe (deserts at that time), I ordered a bagel (a kind of muffin medium size), with abundant doses ham and cheese, and hot. With a drink, I paid just over 4GBP, priced at anything like those practiced in the more touristy areas of London. The day was sunny and it was almost summer, so I ate quietly at a table on the outdoor terrace.
I guess if there is a massive event at the ExCeL London, crowds will even be there. But if there is no special attraction, a complete and utter peace and tranquility is breathed.
After the appetizer, again boarded the cable car for the return trip. Despite an excellent temperature and clear day, the horizon presented traditional London haze that blurs the profiles of all that is not close enough. The skyscrapers of Canary Wharf, close enough, yes they looked with some sharpness, and background O2. But, towards the center of London, the only distinguishable profile were the four most famous chimneys of England, those of the Battersea Power Station on the Thames, west of the city.
Back at the Emirates Greenwich Peninsula terminal, I spent some time visiting the Annex Aviation Experience. Here you get an active watches, with which you can access some of the videos available or enabled games for visitors. On some screens, you can even upload directly to Facebook, for example, the experience of visiting. Perhaps most interesting to visit there is an enormous aircraft engine and the simulated cockpit of a commercial reactor, in which one can become a selfie (through the wrist of yore and a camera mounted to the effect), at the controls of the aircraft.
Upstairs there are also some real simulators business models such as the A380. You can play around with them on payment of a fee, I think, was around 50GBP per half hour or so.
There is also a small gift shop and a cafe.
As it was already more or less, one in the afternoon, the area near the O2 was packed with workers eating area on the lawn (because the day was almost summery). There there for a TESCO supermarket, offering a quick lunch to eat there.
I went back to the Norh Greenwich station and continued my journey through London.
From my point of view, the attraction offered by the cable car ride is limited. As a visitor, IF you are interested in the Docklands area, and IF you like everything involving rise above the environment, then a visit to the Emirates Air Line should be on your agenda. Unfortunately, I fear that these restrictions end up in a very small minority of visitors to London. Insufficient to ensure the profitability of the installation required. Nor have any special interest to regular users of public transport in the city, the summary is that the Emirates Air Line most likely end up being, as we have heard voices of public opinion in that direction, an expensive white elephant .
If you're curious about this cable car, my recommendation is that you visit soon. Why not surprise me that, over time, may not work regularly every day, and limited, for example, peak, or days when there are significant events in the O2 and ExCeL in London.
I liked to visit. But in the coming years, almost certainly will not repeat.
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