Transport for London (TfL) has published a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) seeking expressions of interest from the train manufacturing industry to build the new trains with improved performance and reliability for Docklands Light Railway. A formal Invitation to Tender is expected to be issued in later this year and a contract awarded in Summer 2018. TfL will replace two thirds of the existing trains, some of which are 25 years old, and order an additional ten new trains to provide even more capacity.
TfL intends to order 43 new 87 metre long trains, 33 of which will replace the existing older trains. The new trains will increase the capacity of Docklands Light Railway (DLR) by over 30%. They will be put into commercial service in 2022.
“These new trains will enable us to increase capacity on the DLR by 30 %, significantly improving the comfort, reliability and quality of our service for customers. Ordering them now ensures that we get the best value for money in the long term and can support continuing growth in east London. We intend to go out to tender later this year with the new trains entering service from 2022,” Danny Price, TfL’s Director of DLR, said.
Currently, the DLR, which is entirely step-free, has 45 stations, 38 km of track and 56 trains and carries 122 million passengers a year.
Passenger use is set to continue to grow when the DLR network interchanges with the Elizabeth line from 2018. Services between central London, Shenfield and Abbey Wood will interchange with the DLR at several stations – Canary Wharf, West India Quay, Stratford and Custom House – where new platforms, a new ticket hall and entrance are being constructed.
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