New DLR trains procurement continues

There are changes afoot in the rolling stock of the Docklands Light Railway with the search for a builder for 43 new trains – due to be introduced in 2022 – stepping up a gear. Transport for London have asked four bidders to submit bids in the next stage of the procurement with a decision on who will be selected to build the trains set to be announced in autumn 2018.

The Invitation to Negotiate has been sent to four bidders:

* Alstom Transport UK Ltd

* Bombardier Transportation

* Construcclones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A. (CAF)

* Siemens PLC, Stadler Bussang AG and Stadler Rail Valencia SAU

The order will be for 43 new walk through trains which will increase capacity on the DLR by up to 30%. The DLR is a major success story of transport in the UK with passenger numbers well above 100 million per annum and with the continuing redevelopment of the Docklands area a boost to capacity is needed for the future.

The new trains will replace some of the existing rolling stock, although details of exactly how many and which trains will be withdrawn from service have not yet been announced.

There will be on-board real-time information, air-conditioning and mobile device charging points provided on the new trains; all features which haven’t previously been offered on the DLR.

Jonathan Fox, TfL’s Director of Rail and Sponsored Services, said: “This important step in the procurement process brings us closer to delivering the new trains needed to support the continued passenger growth on the DLR, which currently carries 122 million customers a year. These new trains will enable us to increase capacity on the network by up to 30 per cent, significantly improving the comfort, reliability and quality of our service for customers. They will also support the creation of further jobs and homes in the Docklands area.”

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