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London Docklands Light Rail: The first new CAF trainsets

© TfL

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and Andy Lord, London’s Transport Commissioner, visited Beckton Depot yesterday, Wednesday 8 February 2023, to see the first of 54 new, state-of-the-art DLR trains that promise to provide thousands of customers with more frequent, reliable and comfortable journeys from 2024.

The trains feature a walkthrough design that will increase capacity on each train by 10%. They are also fitted with the latest audio and visual real-time travel information, air conditioning and mobile charging points. In addition, they will provide improved facilities for those with mobility impairments thanks to three multi-use areas and three dedicated wheelchair spaces.

The first new CAF train at Beckton Depot | © TfL
Walkthrough design | © TfL

The 54 new trains are being designed and built by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A (CAF) after Transport for London (TfL) awarded the contract in 2019 following a comprehensive procurement process that focused on deliverability, technical expertise and value for money. The new units are made up of 5 cars, have a total length 86.7 metres and a total Passenger capacity of 793.

Thirty three of the new trains will replace the oldest rolling stock, some of which are more than 30 years old and coming to the end of their design life, and twenty-one will boost capacity across the DLR network. Eleven of these extra trains have been funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities after TfL was successful in securing funding as part of the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund. These will be used to further increase capacity supporting the development of thousands of new homes around the network, particularly in the Royal Docks.

The new trains feature a walk-through design that will increase capacity on each train by 10 per cent as well as the latest audio and visual real-time travel information, air conditioning and mobile device charging points. The new trains will also provide better facilities for those with mobility impairments with three multi-use areas in addition to three dedicated wheelchair spaces. These multi-use areas can also be used to accommodate pushchairs, bicycles and luggage. The new trains will also feature a brand new moquette seat fabric called Poplar.

With more than 90 million journeys made each year, the DLR is the busiest light railway in the UK.  The new trains will provide more frequent direct services to the growing employment centre and cultural hub at Stratford, allowing people from across southeast London to reach new jobs in east London without the need to travel through Zone 1. It also serves Canary Wharf, a vitally important centre for the financial and professional service industries, where it links with the Tube network and the new Elizabeth line, which has recently seen its 100 millionth journey.

The DLR operates across six Opportunity Areas in London, which have the potential to provide more than 124,000 homes and 200,000 jobs. There are around 45,000 of these homes either already under construction or with planning permission within walking distance of the DLR. The additional capacity the trains will deliver is essential to support further sustainable growth beyond that already permitted, particularly in parts of the Royal Docks and the Isle of Dogs where the DLR is such a vital transport option.

The modernisation of the DLR is a key part of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy to make London a greener, more accessible place to live, work and visit as well as supporting new jobs and homes. The investment in improving public transport will help reduce reliance on the car and contribute to the Mayor’s target of 80 per cent of journeys made by public transport, cycling or walking by 2041 and make TfL the green heartbeat of London.

TfL is investing in other parts of its infrastructure to keep them safe, clean and reliable to encourage even more customers back. In addition to new DLR trains, TfL is replacing the ageing Piccadilly line fleet with new trains that are creating jobs in Goole, Yorkshire. The Four Lines Modernisation programme is delivering more frequent, reliable and faster journeys to the Circle, District, Hammersmith & City and Metropolitan lines. The project to modernise and expand Bank station will also soon be completed, transforming customer journeys at the heart of the city.

All the new DLR trains are expected to enter service by 2026. Of today’s fleet all trains built before 2007 will then be out of service.

The B07 series will remain in service after 2026 along with the new CAF trainsets | © Budach
09.02.2023
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