Passengers using the Docklands Light Railway route between Stratford International and Woolwich Arsenal may have recently noticed that their service doesn’t have quite as much capacity as it did with confirmation that until further notice they will be short-formed.
On weekdays the Docklands Light Railway have informed passengers that services will now be formed of two trains instead of three (currently all services on the DLR network are either made up of two or three trains coupled together).
In a statement they have said: “This temporary reduction will help keep the service reliable while older trains are phased out. The normal 3-car service will be gradually restored when new trains enter service later in 2024. Thank you for your patience.”
The new CAF built trains had been due to enter service around about now but there are believed to have been delays in the testing process which means that it will not now be until later in the year that passengers can enjoy these new vehicles. As a result of this delay it would appear that some of the older trains are not available for service meaning the need to reduce the length of services.
54 new trains will be introduced between 2024 and 2026. These are walk through trains which provide air conditioning, live travel information, improved accessibility features and mobile device charging points. The first unit was delivered to Beckton Depot in January 2023 with three so far having been reported as delivered.
But will we still be able to look out of the front window of the new trains and pretend to drive?