New Thales technology on London’s Docklands Light Railway helps improve journeys of 122 million passengers
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Thales has signed two new contracts to support London’s Docklands Light Railway’s (DLR) rolling stock replacement programme, which will help deliver more frequent and reliable journeys in East London from 2023
Thales has signed two new contracts to support the Docklands Light Railway, as a result of a forecasted increased passenger demand on the network. The updates will improve the DLR’s exceptional operational performance, while maintaining the on time train reliability rate of 99% that it has historically delivered. Both contracts will run until September 2024.
The first contract will be for the supply and integration of on board control systems for a new fleet of 43 trains TfL announced earlier this year. This contract is direct with the rolling stock manufacturer Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles, S.A (CAF). The second, with TfL, will be for DLR signalling system upgrades to the software sub systems that will also support the new trains. These upgrades will help to deliver increased capacity and reliability to east London passengers. More trains on the system will mean a higher level of service.
The DLR has been running on Thales’s SelTrac™ Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) technology since 1994 when it was successfully introduced on the Bank to Island Gardens section. Since that time, Thales has worked closely with TfL as the DLR has expanded to support growth in east London.
In addition to working with the DLR, Thales is currently also modernizing the London Underground. The 4LM project involves making signaling upgrades to the Circle, District, Metropolitan and Hammersmith & City lines. The lines make up around 40% of the London Underground and the upgrades will increase the passenger capacity by an average of 33%.