http://www.modern-railways.com April 2019 Modern Railways 73
PHILIP SHERRATT outlines the specification of the
new trains TfL is ordering for the Docklands Light Railway
I
n the last 30 years, the Docklands Light Railway
has grown beyond all recognition. From a
simple system with just 11 light rail vehicles
when it opened in 1987, the DLR is now a complex
network served by 149 vehicles. And the next
stage in its evolution is now approaching, with the
replacement of the oldest of these now imminent.
Transport for London is currently out to tender
for a new fleet of trains, with three bidders vying to
win the contract to supply the fleet – Bombardier,
CAF, and a consortium of Siemens and Stadler. The
order will be for 43 new trains of around 86 metres
in length. Currently the DLR operates formations of
two and three trains coupled together, but the new
vehicles will be full length, fixed formation units.
Of these, 33 will replace the 94 B90, B92 and
B2K units (nominally grouped under the B92 tag
as the most numerous of these types), while a
further 10 form a base order for network-wide
capacity improvements. These network-wide
improvements include the elimination of the
shorter two-set formations, currently seen mostly
on the Stratford to Canary Wharf and Stratford
International to Woolwich Arsenal routes,
creating a consistent train length throughout.
The B92 fleet was built with a design life of
25 years, and the demands placed on the vehicles
now are greatly in excess of what they were
originally designed for. In 1990 the DLR carriedsix million passengers, whereas it is currently
conveying 130 million a year. This figure is predicted
to grow to more than 160 million by 2031, and
from its light rail roots the DLR is now performing
the function of a modern metro system. Reliability
of the B92 fleet is also comparatively poor among
TfL’s fleets; while the flexibility of the network
means such issues can usually be managed
and disruption minimised, having a brand-new
fleet will greatly improve reliability. The new
fleet will work alongside the 55 B2007 vehicles,
the most modern and best-performing of the
current DLR trains, which will be retained.
In the Government’s autumn budget
last year, an additional £291 million was
allocated for investment in the DLR. Provided
in response to a Housing Infrastructure
Fund (HIF) bid, this potentially provides
for a further 14 trains to be ordered.SPECIFICATION
The specification of the new fleet was determined
by TfL and is described as having the characteristics
of a street-running tram but the capacity of a metro
train. A current three-vehicle formation on the DLR
is 86.4 metres in length, which is the minimum
specified for the new trains. The maximum length
of the new trains is determined by the signalling
system and the location of axle counters; Thales,the supplier of the DLR’s automatic signalling
system, performed tests to establish the maximum
length the new trains could be – 88.5 metres.
A key requirement is for a capacity improvement.
Currently, a three-vehicle formation can carry
660 passengers, while the minimum on the new
fleet is 792, achievable thanks to the removal
of dead space occupied by the vehicle ends
and couplings. Each train must include at least
156 seats; these will be longitudinal, except for
at the vehicle ends, where the current popular
forward-facing seats giving a view of the route
ahead will be retained. In addition to their
popularity with tourists, these are often used
by the Passenger Service Agent (PSA) to control
the train from the front. Multi-use areas will
accommodate wheelchairs, buggies and bikes.
Dwell times are a key consideration on the
DLR and dictate elements of the trains’ layout.
Doors must make up at least 21% of each vehicle’s
bodyside on the new fleet, while at the same
time there must be no extension to the current
deployment of Selective Door Operation (SDO),
a notable feature on the Lewisham extension.
Better performance will match the capability of
the B2007s, which are currently pegged back at
the lower end of the acceleration curve to match
the older B92s. The biggest benefit will be the
improved braking characteristics of the new fleet,New fleet for the DLR
Docklands of today: a DLR service passes a packed Limehouse Basin on 29 October 2018. The span to the right
of the viaduct of the former London & Blackwall Railway to Poplar marks the end of the Regent’s Canal from
its circumnavigation of north London, linking the Grand Union Canal to the river Thames. Antony Guppy073-077_MR_Apr 2019_DLR.indd 73 12/03/2019 15:08