There will be a further reduction in services on the Docklands Light Railway from Saturday 13th December 2025 until Sunday 4th January 2026. The announcement of this revised service was included in Transport for London’s annual confirmation of their planned services across the Christmas and New Year period.
As was reported in November 2025, the new B23 trains (of which only three had carried passengers at the time) were withdrawn from service after an incident which saw one of them overshoot a station stop during wet weather. Whilst investigations continue into the cause, and to provide a fix to ensure it doesn’t happen again, it has been decided during a traditionally quieter time that a reduced service will operate.
In a statement TfL said: “As services are generally quieter during this period, TfL is taking the opportunity reduce the mileage travelled to protect the older fleet and ensure a good customer service can be maintained at busier times, as TfL works to return the new trains back into service.”
The changes will include:
- Saturday 13th December 2025 to Sunday 4th January 2026: Bank-Lewisham services will be formed of two trains coupled together instead of the usual three.
- Monday 22nd December 2025 to Friday 2nd January 2026: A Saturday timetable will run on normal weekdays.
- Boxing Day: A reduced service will operate
- New Year’s Eve: A 15 minute service will run with 2-car trains on Bank-Lewisham
- New Year’s Day: Sunday timetable
- Monday 5th January 2026: Normal service resumes (with the reduced timetable introduced in July 2025)