I understand TfL is buying 14 new trains over and above those to replace existing stock To be funded by Housing Infrastructure Fund announced by the government last year £291 million How will those trains be allocated to routes specifically the Lewisham to Canary Wharf/Bank route? Other than new larger walk-through trains (10% capacity increase) what else is planned to increase capacity between Lewisham and Canary Wharf on the DLR line? Will the extra 3rd platform built a few years ago at Mudchute DLR station be used at some point?

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TfL Ref: FOI-0462-1920

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 14 May 2019, asking about DLR trains.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm we do hold the information you require. You asked:

I understand TfL is buying 14 new trains over and above those to replace existing stock to be funded by Housing Infrastructure Fund announced by the government last year £291 million.

How will those trains be allocated to routes specifically the Lewisham to Canary Wharf/Bank route?

Other than new larger walk-through trains (10% capacity increase) what else is planned to increase capacity between Lewisham and Canary Wharf on the DLR line?

Will the extra 3rd platform built a few years ago at Mudchute DLR station be used at some point?

Our DLR Rolling Stock replacement programme will buy 43 new full-length trains. We will use these partly to replace our existing oldest vehicle fleet (94 vehicles, equivalent to 31-32 full-length trains), and partly to increase capacity across the network. In addition to this, the 14 further trains funded by HM Government will allow us to increase capacity even further.

The new fleet of trains will work together with our 55 remaining vehicles, so even on routes where the new trains do not specifically operate, we will be able to increase train lengths and frequencies.

Our plan for increased capacity is subject to change, but is currently as follows:

• Replace Stratford International – Woolwich Arsenal 2-car services with new full-length trains and improve peak headways from 8 minutes (7½ trains per hour) to 4 minutes (15 trains per hour)

   

• Replace Bank – Woolwich Arsenal 3-car services with new full-length trains

   

• Replace Bank – Lewisham 3-car services with new full-length trains

   

• Introduce new peak Stratford International – Beckton service with 3-car trains

   

• Replace all Stratford – Canary Wharf 2-car services with new full-length trains and extend all these services (i.e. every 4 minutes) to Lewisham

The result of this on the Lewisham branch will be a 65% increase in peak capacity compared to today, through a combination of making all trains full length, the higher capacity of the new trains, and the increase in total frequency from today’s 22.5 trains per hour to 30 trains per hour (every 2 minutes). We will also increase capacity to Beckton by 100%, to Woolwich by 97%, between Stratford and Canary Wharf by 65%.

The third platform at Mudchute is currently valuable during periods of disruption, and will become even more so once we start operating trains every 2 minutes in each direction on this branch. It will also allow us to move trains out of the way quickly to maintain the service should any faults occur. We also currently expect to use this platform as part of the staging of the service enhancements, so frequency on this line may initially increase to Mudchute before all services are extended to Lewisham.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Eva Hextall

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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