Transport for LondonDLR trains have changed significantly over the past 20 years and the fleet size continues to grow in order to meet passenger demand.
In 1987, DLR ran with a fleet of 11 vehicles and 10 more vehicles entered service in May 1990. Seventy new and improved rail cars were then introduced in 1991 and the original fleet of 21 vehicles was sold. The new vehicles served the Bank (1991), Beckton (1994) and Lewisham extensions (1999). In 2002, DLR bought 24 new rail cars in preparation for the opening of the London City Airport extension.
Major upgrades are currently underway to the DLR fleet with refurbishment completed of the existing 94 vehicles in early 2008 and 55 new vehicles on order for the railway.
Click on one of the links below to read more about the Rolling Stock Enhancement:
- New Rail Cars
- Vehicle Refurbishment
- Other improvements to Rolling Stock
- Improving the operation of Rolling Stock
New rail cars
By the end of 2009 DLR will receive delivery of vehicle number 39 of the 55 new vehicles ordered to allow for further railway expansion and passenger demand. During 2010 a further 16 new vehicles will be delivered.
The new rail cars are an improved version of the existing 94 vehicles. They are more aerodynamic and inside the ambience is much brighter, due to larger windows and fully glazed doors and draught screens. Many aspects of the vehicles have been upgraded to deliver improved performance and reliability.
The new vehicles have;
- A sleek external design
- Larger windows and doors
- More leg room
- Improved braking for a smoother ride
- Better acceleration
- Improved door functions to enable faster boarding and alighting
The new vehicles are funded by Transport for London and the Olympic Delivery Authority.
The requirement for additional stock has been necessitated by:
- Progression of schemes to upgrade the route between Bank and Lewisham to accommodate three-car trains
- The extension of the DLR between King George V and Woolwich Arsenal
- The future Stratford International extension
- High projected passenger demand during the 2012 Games and beyond
Vehicle Refurbishment
The completed project to refurbish DLR’s existing fleet of 94 rail cars saw vehicles being taken out of service and undergoing comprehensive mid-life maintenance. Visible improvements include a redesigned interior to accommodate more passengers, improved passenger information displays and a new corporate external livery.
The first refurbished vehicle re-entered service in mid-2004 and the programme was completed in March 2007.
Other improvements to Rolling Stock
On-train CCTV
The system comprises surveillance cameras on board the train vehicles, connected to a Digital Video Recorder (DVR). The DVR records all of the camera pictures all of the time, and when an alarm occurs it stores near real-time pictures of the alarm event both before and after the operation of the alarm button.
The DVR has an Ethernet port which is connected to a wireless LAN transmitter/receiver and an antenna on the vehicle roof. This allows the DVR to send video pictures in both live and recorded mode to an operator screen in the control room at Poplar.
All cameras will be recorded at a time lapse rate of 1 image per second per camera, but will record at a higher rate when an alarm occurs. All recordings will be marked with time, date, and an identifying text for each camera.
At any time whilst recording, the DVR can be accessed via the Ethernet LAN connection to enable viewing of live (i.e. not recorded) camera pictures from within the vehicle. This access is either by local connection to a lap-top PC, or via the wireless LAN facility to the control room at Poplar. Viewing of pictures will not interfere with the recording process in any way.
Station CCTV
As the railway continues to expand, DLR has been and will be installing additional cameras onto platforms, concourse areas and has repositioned certain existing CCTV cameras to give the best coverage. The new CCTV coverage is required in order for the station to maintain its secure station accreditation.
All cameras on the system are recorded on Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), the footage can be downloaded by the Operators and British Transport Police (BTP).
A Video Motion Detection (VMD) facility is also provided by the recording system, which interfaces to the CCTV control system to provide VMD activation of any camera on the system.
All cameras are equipped with a remote setting facility, which enables a number of camera features to be set up remotely either at the station equipment room or at the control centre.
Improving the operation of rolling stock
The railway utilises a fully automatic train control (ATC) system, which is monitored by the permanently staffed Control Centre located at Poplar. Each train however is staffed by a highly qualified Passenger Service Agent (PSA).
Control Room Upgrades
The control room environment must be designed to enable operators to deal with highly pressured periods of activity in the most efficient and safe manner. There are many computerised systems that must be dealt with simultaneously. As the railway expands with new extensions and enhancements, there is a need to rationalise and prioritise system outputs to keep the operator's workload manageable. This forthcoming project will identify any areas that need addressing and additional equipment required. The next step will be to implement improvements.
Radio Optimisation
The original radio system by which Passenger Service Agents (PSAs) communicated with the control centre had weak signal strength and coverage problems, attributed to the changing geography surrounding the footprint of the railway as a result of new high rise building development, which has changed the radio coverage pattern in some areas of the network. New transmitter and receivers were installed to improve poor reception areas. DLR was committed to provide a radio system that gives seamless coverage between the control room and staff throughout the railway. This project is now complete.
Long Line Public Address (LLPA)
The main contract has just been signed which covers the supply of a new LLPA system. This will replicate the functionality of the existing system but will add in additional features and facilities, these being:
- Enhanced scratch pad with a longer message and multiple stored messages
- A night volume control for the amplifier output setting at all stations to reduce sound output at quiet periods, controlled by a pre set but adjustable clock at the Information Assistants’ desks in the control room
- An automatic level control on microphone inputs to allow for different speech characteristics of the announcers / users
- Remote Updating of Train Approach Messages. The standard announcement on station platforms is to advise passengers of the next approaching train
The new LLPA system will connect to a new Ethernet network. It will connect the existing loudspeakers to the new amplifiers and controllers, connect into fire alarm outputs at specified stations and connect to other railway public address (PA) systems where DLR intersect with other railway operators.
Asset upgrades and maintenance
DLR constantly monitors the condition of its assets and has a number of smaller projects ongoing to upgrade and maintain infrastructure – ranging from re-railing to the updating of signs at stations
