New DLR trains begin arriving in London
The first train carriage ordered as part of a mass order for new DLR trains has arrived in the capital from Spain.
Beckton depot is the home of the first new new rolling stock constructed by CAF.
New trains ditch the existing red colour scheme for turquoise livery.
The new #DLR trains have started to be delivered to #Beckton depot. 🚆
Looking forward to a more modern design, longer trains and more space. Will be much better for everyone relying on the DLR in the south & west of #Newham pic.twitter.com/dQDUClHHWM
— James Asser (@JamesAsser) January 17, 2023
They’ll be fully walk-through and planned improvements include a doubling of Woolwich to Stratford services alongside Stratford to Beckton.
Beckton depot is being expanded to hold an expanded fleet. Construction is ongoing to create new sidings.
Funding for new trains and the expansion partly comes from the Housing Infrastructure Fund. However, government are now dragging their feet on signing off the final tranche of money.
A total of eleven trains out of 53 are dependent on those funds.
According to a TfL report:
“The first two trains commenced dynamic testing on the manufacturer’s test track in Spain three months ahead of programme. This involves type tests of the onboard systems followed by 20,000km fault free endurance testing to provereliability.
This testing is forecast to conclude by the end of 2022 and the trains will then be delivered to the UK for network testing.”
The oldest existing DLR trains are now 30 years old and look likely to head to scrap. Previous DLR stock has ended up plying their trade in Germany.
Upon entering service, frequencies will be upgraded on various branches. While the pandemic has dented ridership around 80 per cent of 2019 levels, mass housebuilding is either underway or planned along each branch.
The Woolwich Arsenal branch has seen recent plans for a substantial uplift in homes at Silvertown Quay. The first 721 homes are now underway. A recent application sees total homes over 6,000.
800 homes are rising nearby as part of Deanstone Wharf.
Various other developments are underway or planned near every station along the branch. The same is true for Canning Town.
Trains will be tested and imported from Spain before introduction in 2024-25.
