Explore the National Maritime Museum, take in an event at the ExCel Centre or wash down some street food from markets at West India Quay with a beer from Meantime Brewery.

These are some of Transport for London’s (TfL) suggestions of things you can do via the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) as it marks the DLR’s 30th anniversary.

Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the DLR in summer 1987, with the network initially including just 11 single-carriage trains serving 15 stations and 6.7million people in its first year.

Six extensions and 30 years later it now encompasses 45 stations with 56 mainly three-carriage trains on 38 kilometres of track, and carries 122 million passengers-a-year.

To mark the anniversary, TfL has introduced new line maps – with different colour shades for each branch of the railway – on board the trains and at station.

It has also created a travel guide for 30 places easily reached by travelling on the DLR, from royal museums in Greenwich to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Danny Price, TfL’s director of the DLR, said: “The DLR has been an integral part of east London for 30 years and we are proud of the contribution it has made.

“With a growing population, and continuing redevelopment in the area, the importance of good transport links is clear.

“With improvements such as a new generation of trains from 2022 and initiatives to make our customers’ lives easier, such as the new clearer DLR line map, we will ensure the DLR continues to meet those growing needs.”

Mr Price added that the new DLR travel guide, compiled to mark the network’s 30th birthday, offered passengers the chance to explore some of east London’s “top attractions and hidden gems”.

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  • Discover Canary Wharf – not just offices and shops, Canary Wharf also boasts one of the UK’s largest collections of public art.
  • Crossrail Place – currently includes a roof garden, restaurants, shops and cinema, and will host the start of Elizabeth line services from December 2018.
  • National Maritime Museum, The Queen’s House and Greenwich Park – one of the world’s largest maritime museums, a former royal residence, and a former hunting park.

News Shopper:

  • Trinity Boy Wharf – London’s only lighthouse and a centre for the arts and creative industries.
  • Historic Shadwell and Limehouse – the capital’s original docks and streets packed with history.
  • Museum of London Docklands – a museum displaying the history of London’s River Thames and the growth of the Docklands.

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  • Thames Barrier Park – a landscaped park with stunning views of the river.
  • Jubilee Greenway – part of a 60-kilometre walk commemorating the 60th anniversary pf Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.
  • Lee Valley Regional Park – features the Limehouse Cut canal towpath, Limehouse Basin, Bow Creek Ecology Park and Three Mills Island.
  • Thames Path – a National Trail footpath along 180 miles of the river.

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  • Tower Bridge and the Tower of London – a royal castle steeped in history.
  • Blackheath – enjoy the spectacle of kits, or better still, join in.
  • The Crystal – one of the most sustainable buildings in the world and the largest Future Cities exhibition.
  • Mudchute Park and Farm – a community charity with a working farm and stables in 32 acres of countryside.
  • Newham City Farm – one of London’s largest and longest established city farms.
  • Urban Beach – this summer, sit back and relax.
  • ExCel London – an exhibition centre hosting Comic Con, Grand Design and the Boat Show.

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  • Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory – the fastest ship of her time, and where east meets west on the Prime Meridian.
  • Emirates Air Line and North Greenwich Peninsula – includes the O2, Emirates Aviation Experience and Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park.
  • MBNA Thames Clippers – see Docklands from a high-speed catamaran ride.

Finbarr Whooley, director of content at the Museum of London Docklands, said: “The opening of the DLR 30 years ago transformed the Docklands area making it accessible to swathes of Londoners and visitors, properly, for the first time.

“The Museum of London Docklands, located between West India Quay and Westferry stations, welcomes almost 300,000 visitors a year, many of whom travel on the DLR – so we’re really pleased that even more improvements are in the pipeline that will further help to bring east London’s cultural destinations together.”