UK: The first of the 54 Class B23 trainsets which CAF is supplying for the Docklands Light Railway entered passenger service on the automated light metro in east London on September 30.
The five-car walk-though trainsets offer 10% more capacity than current trains which are formed from shorter individual sets. The trains are able to carry up to 792 passengers, with 141 fixed and 15 tip-up seats.
Features include wide gangways, air-conditioning, mobile device charging points, three multi-use areas for pushchairs, bicycles and luggage and three dedicated spaces for wheelchair users.
Teleste supplied CCTV and real-time audio and visual passenger information systems with ultra-wide TFT display screens.
Richard Graham, Managing Director of DLR operating contractor KeolisAmey Docklands, said ’for passengers, these trains mean more space, comfort and reliability. For our people, they provide the latest tools and technology to keep the DLR running safely and smoothly every day.’
DLR investment programme
The trains were ordered as part of a wider programme of investment in the 38 km DLR network, with £260m of funding being provided through the Housing Infrastructure Fund, a £500m loan from the National Wealth Fund and £5m from London City Airport.
Transport for London invited expressions of interest in the train contract in May 2017, and Alstom, Bombardier Transportation, CAF and a consortium of Siemens Mobility and Stadler prequalified.
In June 2019 Spanish company CAF was awarded a £350m contract covering the supply of 43 trainsets, of which 33 are to replace existing stock and 10 to increase capacity.
There were options to order up to 34 more sets, and a firm order for 11 trainsets was announced in June 2023 to support the development of 10 000 new homes across the DLR network.
It was initially envisaged that the trains would enter service from 2023, but there were delays caused by the pandemic, delays during testing which were compounded by the identification of a pre-existing issue with the signalling system, and delays to delivery after the contractor building the depot went into administration.
A reduced timetable was introduced on July 21 2025 to enable the withdrawal of older trains that had reached the end of their operational life. The full timetable will be restored as more new trains enter service over the coming months, and full replacement of the older fleet is expected by the end of 2026.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the trains will ‘significantly improve reliability and support growth in new homes and jobs, particularly for Londoners in areas like Stratford, Woolwich Arsenal and the Isle of Dogs’.
