The new DLR trains have started arriving in London — with fresh images released — following a visit by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, and Andy Lord, London's Transport Commissioner, to Beckton Depot this morning (8 February).
Londonist has previously reported on the fleet of 54 DLR (Docklands Light Railway) trains due to be rolled out from 2024. We've already seen images of the trains being manufactured and tested in Spain by Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A., but now, we've got a glimpse at the first completed trains in London — and in particular, the interior of the carriages.
Instantly noticeable about the trains inside and out is that they dispense with the juxtaposed bright red/blue livery and dark moquette seats, instead taking on the turquoise hues of the DLR line itself. This has a satisfying cohesion about it, and generally makes a lot more sense than what we've got right now.
It's about more than aesthetic changes of course — carriages on the new trains are walk-through (as with more contemporary tube and Overground stock), and offer 10% more capacity than the current trains. There are also dedicated wheelchair spaces, audio and visual real time travel information, air con, and USB points for charging your phone.
Testing on the trains will soon begin in London, initially with overnight runs during engineering hours and planned closures, before trains are then tried out during the day in gaps between normal services (which is possibly when you'll get your first proper sight of them).
All the new trains are expected to enter service by 2026, boosting capacity of the DLR network — which sees 90 million annual journeys — by 30%.
While you won't get to ride one of these babies till next year (and yes, you still get to 'drive' the train), remember, we've got futuristic 'tram buses' coming our way later in 2023.
