Transport for London (TfL) has launched the procurement process to find a supplier to build a new generation of trains for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
The new air-conditioned trains are set to enter passenger service from 2022. TfL has said they will increase capacity by more than 30 per cent and featured charging points for mobile devices.
The announcement – marked by TfL publishing a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union seeking expressions of interest – comes at a time when there is a significant redevelopment of the Docklands area with up to 36,500 jobs and 7,000 homes being created in the Royal Docks area alone.
In support of this growth, TfL plans to acquire 43 new 87-metre trains, of which 33 will replace two thirds of the existing fleet – some of which are 25 years old – and 10 will increase the overall capacity of the network.
A formal invitation to tender is expected to be issued in later this year and a contract awarded in summer 2018.
TfL’s director of DLR, Danny Price, said: “These new trains will enable us to increase capacity on the DLR by 30 per cent, significantly improving the comfort, reliability and quality of our service for customers.
“Ordering them now ensures that we get the best value for money in the long term and can support continuing growth in east London.
“We intend to go out to tender later this year with the new trains entering service from 2022.”