The DLR’s new trains have been delayed indefinitely

If you’re a regular user of London’s public transport, you’ll know how much difference the little things can make on a daily commute. Fresh upholstery, mobile phone signal, and that new train smell are just some of the things that Lizzy line users have been bragging about since the route opened two years ago. 

That’s why we were pretty excited in June 2023, when we heard that the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) would be getting its own fancy new fleet, and even more thrilled when we had a sneak peek of the turquoise trains earlier this year. Sadly it hasn’t been smooth sailing. TfL announced yesterday (September 26) that the new trains, which were supposed to be in operation by the end of 2024, would be delayed once again. 

The deadline was questioned earlier this year, when TfL explained there were some issues with the new trains, and instead of 30 new trains being ready to go in April 2024, they would be pushed back until the end of the year. At the time, Arran Rusling, who’s in charge of TfL’s plans to replace the DLR stock, said that all 54 new trains would be running by 2026. As of today, though, TfL has not confirmed a new date for their completion, simply saying the replacement trains will arrive later than they had planned.

Why the delay? Well, TfL said the new trains had some problems during the testing phase. The latest explanation actually has more to do with the old DLR trains than the new ones: the transport authority has said that ‘signalling problems’ on the track have meant the DLR trains are currently going ‘too fast’...

That’s not just a safety issue - it also messes with the timetable, making it difficult to schedule the introduction of new trains into the network. Plus, there have been issues integrating the brake mechanism of the new trains with the current signalling system on the track. 

TfL’s chief capital officer Stuart Harvey said: ‘The discovery of the signalling issue means that further detailed analysis and software modifications need to take place. We are working hard to bring the new trains into service as soon as possible.’

That means the Londoners who use the DLR to get around south and east London every day will have to keep waiting before they see any sparkly new trains. And given that the DLR served more than 92 million passengers in 2023, that’s quite a few people.

From what we’ve heard, the trains are meant to be worth the wait, with air-conditioning, USB charging points and more. An FYI for anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of trying this themselves, the DLR is driverless, but there are conductors onboard every service. Until the new high-end fleet makes an appearance, the current trains, which have been operating since the ’90s, will have to wait for their retirement.

Trains and transport on Time Out

Make no mistake – we at Time Out love London’s railways. Still, we had to find out which tube line is the dirtiest and we think you want to know too. On a lighter note, join the debate: is this new tube map really better than TfL’s one?

ICYMI: All the London tube closures this weekend (September 27-29) to know.

Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel. 

Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.