Docklands Light Railway rolling stock
Encyclopedia
Docklands Light Railway rolling stock is the passenger trains and service vehicles (collectively known as 'rolling stock
') used on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
, which serves the London Docklands area in the east of London.
The passenger stock consists of high-floor, bi-directional, single-articulated electrical multiple units. The trains are formed from sets of 2 or 3 semi-permanently connected cars, the increase to 3-car trains being introduced progressively on the busiest routes in 2010, following substantial platform extension works. The trains are fully automated and have no driver, but a Passenger Service Agent (PSA), and titled the "Train Captain" in the system's earlier years, is in attendance in each train and can take control at a driver's console if required.
There have been three different main types of DLR rolling stock, but only two of them (the B90/B92/B2K fleet and the B07 fleet) are in operation; the original P86/P89 stock having been withdrawn in 1991/1995 and sold to a German
operator in Essen.
The cars have no driver's cab, although there is a small driver's console concealed behind a locked panel at each outer car end from which the Passenger Service Agent (PSA) can drive the train when necessary. Other consoles at each door opening allow the PSA to control door closure and make announcements whilst patrolling the train. Because of the absence of a driver's position, the fully glazed car ends provide a panoramic forward (or rear) view for passengers. At least one PSA is required on each train to close the doors upon departing and for emergency situations, such as taking the controls or evacuating the train, especially in tunnelled sections.
Despite having high floors and being highly automated, the cars are derived from a German
light rail
design, which was intended for use in systems with elements of street running. All the cars that have operated on the system look similar, but there have been five separate types, three of which are still in operation on the Docklands Light Railway. A further car type, with quite different styling, was first displayed in March 2008 and entered service in September 2008.
The DLR stock units have a maximum speed of 100 km/h (62.1 mph), but the fastest speed reached is 80 km/h (49.7 mph) in the tunnel under the River Thames
to Woolwich Arsenal station.
The fleet for the 1987 opening consisted of 11 light-rail
vehicles (LRVs) built in 1986 by Linke-Hofmann
-Busch (LHB, now Alstom
) in Germany
and numbered 01 to 11. These were referred to as P86 stock, the 'P' referring to Poplar depot
, where they were maintained. Vehicle 11 made history several times. It was part of a light rail demonstration at Debdale Park
, Manchester
for which it had a pantograph fitted by Balfour Beatty
. The demonstration took place on 9 February 1987 as evaluation trials for a potential tram system in Manchester. P11 was the last unit to be delivered to the DLR at Poplar on 30 March 1987, without the pantograph. It was also the vehicle used by the Queen
and the Duke of Edinburgh
during the royal opening of the railway on 30 July 1987: the train ran from Island Gardens
(when originally above ground) to Poplar
and then to Tower Gateway
. P11 also formed the first revenue-earning DLR vehicle and was the first vehicle to be moved to Essen
in 1991.
There were 84 seats in each car with most arranged in transverse bays of four to take advantage of the large windows. There were two wheelchair bays, and twelve longitudinal seats increased the circulation area. An emergency console for the Train Captain was provided but locked when out of use. These cars were built for the initial above-ground system and, because of failing to meet safety requirements, were not allowed to operate on the tunnelled extension to . Because of this, and because adaptation to a new signalling system was too costly, these cars were sold in 1991 to Essener Verkehrs-AG of Essen, Germany
, where they were extensively rebuilt and put into service on its Stadtbahn
between 1994 and 1998. Originally, they retained DLR colours and were limited to route U11, but after a further modification programme started in 2005, trains are appearing in a yellow livery and are used on all routes.
In 1989-1990, BREL
in Derby, UK, supplied another ten LRVs, numbered 12 to 21. These share the characteristics of the original P86 stock. They were, though, equipped with sufficient fire-proofing to operate through the tunnels of the Bank extension. These were designated P89 stock and remained in operation on the DLR until 1995. The two initial car types were effectively identical in appearance; apart from the car numbers one difference was the red livery underneath the end window was notably more orange and reflective on the P89 cars than on the original P86 ones. The P89s were rebuilt with sliding doors. They were also sold to Essen, where they entered service between 1999 and 2004 after major modifications had been carried out. They are now painted yellow and blue and are used on all routes of the Essen Stadtbahn network.
As the Essen Stadtbahn does not use fully automated driving, and uses overhead line rather than third rail
power collection, the modifications to both sets of cars involved fitting driver's cabs and pantographs
. Today , the P89 operates on U17 and U18 lines.
Further vehicles were required as the network grew and as the original P86 and P89 cars had to be replaced due to their unsuitability for the changed system conditions. Bombardier
built 23 vehicles of B90 stock in 1991, 47 vehicles of B92 stock between 1993 and 1995, and 24 vehicles of B2K stock in 2001 and 2002. When new the B2K stock differed from the earlier vehicles in appearance as the doors and handrails were painted in colours contrasting to their surroundings. They are also fitted with internal LCD display screens. These differences were all mandated by the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations
(RVAR) of the Disability Discrimination Act
(DDA), which were not in force when the older cars were built.
The 'B' in the type codes refers to Beckton DLR depot, where they are primarily maintained. They are of a common design and can be operated interchangeably in trains of up to three sets.
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The DLR fleet at the end of 2004 consisted of:
The numbering of the last B2K cars restarted at 01, reusing the numbers of the replaced, original cars. The main reason for this was that the DLR computer system had only been designed originally to handle 2-digit car numbers, and an upgrade to allow 3-digit car numbers did not take place until some time after these cars were received.
DLR cars had a common livery of blue, red, and white upon delivery. Over the years, several vehicles have received all-over advertising livery. A new livery of turquoise and blue was tested on B92 car 40 in the mid-1990s, but it was not adopted, and the car was repainted in standard livery a few years later. The B90, B92 and B2K stocks were refurbished starting in 2004 with the completed trains re-entering service with a redesigned interior and in a new livery of red and blue with grey doors to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. The refurbished units feature an Audio and Visual Information System (AVIS) which gives audio announcements when approaching a station: "This train is for destination, the next stop is next stop", for example:
"This train is for Bank, the next stop is Canary Wharf". It also announces the name of the station when the doors have opened, for example: "This is Canary Wharf".
In May 2005, Bombardier announced that they would be providing a further 24 vehicles of a new design, which they consider superior to the B90/B92/B2K. The new cars, needed for network extensions and three-car service on the Bank–Lewisham route, were to be delivered between May 2007 and September 2008, but were delayed. These vehicles are known as 'B07 stock', and are numbered 101 to 124. The first new DLR train was delivered on 22 December 2007, and three units of B07 stock, 104, 105, and 106, were on display at West India Quay
on 13 March 2008. The first train of B07 stock, made up of units 105 and 106, went into service in September 2008. Even by March 2009 few of the new trains had appeared in service, but all units of this batch had entered service by July 2009.
In June 2006, another 31 vehicles were added to this order. This batch was partly funded by the Olympic Delivery Authority
and was planned to be delivered by 2009. If previous naming conventions are applied, then it is expected these additional vehicles will be known as the second batch of B07 stock, or the Olympic batch, and will be numbered 125 to 155. All units of this batch have been delivered, with the first six units having been delivered by June 2009. All units entered service by the end of June 2010.
The B07 stock units feature a totally redesigned exterior and interior. It features larger windows and doors and more leg room. In addition, several technical improvements were made for better acceleration, altered door functions to enable faster boarding and alighting, and improved braking for a smoother ride.
The B07 units were the first to operate as 3-car trains in early 2010; the B92 trains followed operating in this way later in 2010. The initial 3-car route was the mainstream Bank to Lewisham route, but the lengthened trains were subsequently operated on other routes as well.
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
') used on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR)
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...
, which serves the London Docklands area in the east of London.
The passenger stock consists of high-floor, bi-directional, single-articulated electrical multiple units. The trains are formed from sets of 2 or 3 semi-permanently connected cars, the increase to 3-car trains being introduced progressively on the busiest routes in 2010, following substantial platform extension works. The trains are fully automated and have no driver, but a Passenger Service Agent (PSA), and titled the "Train Captain" in the system's earlier years, is in attendance in each train and can take control at a driver's console if required.
There have been three different main types of DLR rolling stock, but only two of them (the B90/B92/B2K fleet and the B07 fleet) are in operation; the original P86/P89 stock having been withdrawn in 1991/1995 and sold to a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
operator in Essen.
Passenger stock overview
The passenger stock consists of high-floor, bi-directional, single-articulated electrical multiple units. The trains have four doors on each side and each train is normally composed of two 28 metres (91.9 ft)-long cars. A third car was added on the busiest routes in 2010. Each car has 70 seats and has a total capacity of 284 passengers.The cars have no driver's cab, although there is a small driver's console concealed behind a locked panel at each outer car end from which the Passenger Service Agent (PSA) can drive the train when necessary. Other consoles at each door opening allow the PSA to control door closure and make announcements whilst patrolling the train. Because of the absence of a driver's position, the fully glazed car ends provide a panoramic forward (or rear) view for passengers. At least one PSA is required on each train to close the doors upon departing and for emergency situations, such as taking the controls or evacuating the train, especially in tunnelled sections.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
design, which was intended for use in systems with elements of street running. All the cars that have operated on the system look similar, but there have been five separate types, three of which are still in operation on the Docklands Light Railway. A further car type, with quite different styling, was first displayed in March 2008 and entered service in September 2008.
The DLR stock units have a maximum speed of 100 km/h (62.1 mph), but the fastest speed reached is 80 km/h (49.7 mph) in the tunnel under the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
to Woolwich Arsenal station.
P86 and P89 rolling stock
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
vehicles (LRVs) built in 1986 by Linke-Hofmann
Linke-Hofmann
Linke-Hofmann was a German manufacturing company established in Breslau to produce locomotives and rolling stock. Its origins lay in the wheelwright business of Gottfried Linke, begun in 1834...
-Busch (LHB, now Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
) in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and numbered 01 to 11. These were referred to as P86 stock, the 'P' referring to Poplar depot
Poplar DLR depot
The Poplar Traincare Depot, also known as the Operations and Maintenance Centre , is the secondary depot for the Docklands Light Railway. It was the primary depot until Beckton DLR depot was built....
, where they were maintained. Vehicle 11 made history several times. It was part of a light rail demonstration at Debdale Park
Debdale Park
Debdale Park is an inner city park, located in the Gorton area of Manchester, England. At around , it is one of the largest inner city parks in the City of Manchester....
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
for which it had a pantograph fitted by Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc is a British construction, engineering, military housing, rail and investment services company. It is one of the largest construction companies in the UK, and the 15th largest in the world...
. The demonstration took place on 9 February 1987 as evaluation trials for a potential tram system in Manchester. P11 was the last unit to be delivered to the DLR at Poplar on 30 March 1987, without the pantograph. It was also the vehicle used by the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and the Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh
The Duke of Edinburgh is a British royal title, named after the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, which has been conferred upon members of the British royal family only four times times since its creation in 1726...
during the royal opening of the railway on 30 July 1987: the train ran from Island Gardens
Island Gardens DLR station
Island Gardens DLR station is a Docklands Light Railway station on the Isle of Dogs, just north of the River Thames. It is in Travelcard Zone 2.The station is close to the southern tip of the Isle of Dogs and the River Thames...
(when originally above ground) to Poplar
Poplar DLR station
Poplar is a station on the Docklands Light Railway in Travelcard Zone 2. It is served by three of the six regular routes on the DLR making it one of the busiest stations on the network in terms of services.-History:Long before the opening of the DLR in 1987, there had been three stations with the...
and then to Tower Gateway
Tower Gateway DLR station
Tower Gateway is a Docklands Light Railway station near the Tower of London. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. It adjoins the tracks to Fenchurch Street station and is on the site of the closed Minories railway station....
. P11 also formed the first revenue-earning DLR vehicle and was the first vehicle to be moved to Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
in 1991.
There were 84 seats in each car with most arranged in transverse bays of four to take advantage of the large windows. There were two wheelchair bays, and twelve longitudinal seats increased the circulation area. An emergency console for the Train Captain was provided but locked when out of use. These cars were built for the initial above-ground system and, because of failing to meet safety requirements, were not allowed to operate on the tunnelled extension to . Because of this, and because adaptation to a new signalling system was too costly, these cars were sold in 1991 to Essener Verkehrs-AG of Essen, Germany
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, where they were extensively rebuilt and put into service on its Stadtbahn
Stadtbahn
A ' is a tramway or light railway that includes segments built to rapid transit standards, usually as part of a process of conversion to a metro railway, mainly by the building of tunnels in the central city area....
between 1994 and 1998. Originally, they retained DLR colours and were limited to route U11, but after a further modification programme started in 2005, trains are appearing in a yellow livery and are used on all routes.
BREL
British Rail Engineering Limited , was the railway systems engineering division of British Rail, until the design and building of trains in the UK was privatised in 1993. On 31 October 1969, the company was incorporated as British Rail Engineering Limited.-Main products:The vast majority of BREL's...
in Derby, UK, supplied another ten LRVs, numbered 12 to 21. These share the characteristics of the original P86 stock. They were, though, equipped with sufficient fire-proofing to operate through the tunnels of the Bank extension. These were designated P89 stock and remained in operation on the DLR until 1995. The two initial car types were effectively identical in appearance; apart from the car numbers one difference was the red livery underneath the end window was notably more orange and reflective on the P89 cars than on the original P86 ones. The P89s were rebuilt with sliding doors. They were also sold to Essen, where they entered service between 1999 and 2004 after major modifications had been carried out. They are now painted yellow and blue and are used on all routes of the Essen Stadtbahn network.
As the Essen Stadtbahn does not use fully automated driving, and uses overhead line rather than third rail
Third rail
A third rail is a method of providing electric power to a railway train, through a semi-continuous rigid conductor placed alongside or between the rails of a railway track. It is used typically in a mass transit or rapid transit system, which has alignments in its own corridors, fully or almost...
power collection, the modifications to both sets of cars involved fitting driver's cabs and pantographs
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
. Today , the P89 operates on U17 and U18 lines.
B90/B92/B2K rolling stock
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
built 23 vehicles of B90 stock in 1991, 47 vehicles of B92 stock between 1993 and 1995, and 24 vehicles of B2K stock in 2001 and 2002. When new the B2K stock differed from the earlier vehicles in appearance as the doors and handrails were painted in colours contrasting to their surroundings. They are also fitted with internal LCD display screens. These differences were all mandated by the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations
Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations
The Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2010 is a Statutory Instrument in the United Kingdom. It aims to set standards designed to improve accessibility for disabled people on light rail passenger vehicles.It came into force on 6th April 2010...
(RVAR) of the Disability Discrimination Act
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which has now been repealed and replaced by the Equality Act 2010 , except in Northern Ireland where the Act still applies...
(DDA), which were not in force when the older cars were built.
The 'B' in the type codes refers to Beckton DLR depot, where they are primarily maintained. They are of a common design and can be operated interchangeably in trains of up to three sets.
- 22–44: BombardierBombardier TransportationBombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
B90, built in 1991 - 45–91: Bombardier B92, built 1993–1995
- 92–99, 01–16: Bombardier B2K, built 2001–2002
The numbering of the last B2K cars restarted at 01, reusing the numbers of the replaced, original cars. The main reason for this was that the DLR computer system had only been designed originally to handle 2-digit car numbers, and an upgrade to allow 3-digit car numbers did not take place until some time after these cars were received.
DLR cars had a common livery of blue, red, and white upon delivery. Over the years, several vehicles have received all-over advertising livery. A new livery of turquoise and blue was tested on B92 car 40 in the mid-1990s, but it was not adopted, and the car was repainted in standard livery a few years later. The B90, B92 and B2K stocks were refurbished starting in 2004 with the completed trains re-entering service with a redesigned interior and in a new livery of red and blue with grey doors to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act. The refurbished units feature an Audio and Visual Information System (AVIS) which gives audio announcements when approaching a station: "This train is for destination, the next stop is next stop", for example:
"This train is for Bank, the next stop is Canary Wharf". It also announces the name of the station when the doors have opened, for example: "This is Canary Wharf".
B07 rolling stock
West India Quay DLR station
West India Quay DLR station is a station on the Docklands Light Railway in London, England. It is situated at the point where the line from Lewisham splits into branches to Tower Gateway/Bank and Stratford. The next stations on each line are Canary Wharf DLR station , Westferry and Poplar DLR...
on 13 March 2008. The first train of B07 stock, made up of units 105 and 106, went into service in September 2008. Even by March 2009 few of the new trains had appeared in service, but all units of this batch had entered service by July 2009.
In June 2006, another 31 vehicles were added to this order. This batch was partly funded by the Olympic Delivery Authority
Olympic Delivery Authority
The Olympic Delivery Authority is the statutory corporation responsible for ensuring delivery of venues, infrastructure and legacy for the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games in London...
and was planned to be delivered by 2009. If previous naming conventions are applied, then it is expected these additional vehicles will be known as the second batch of B07 stock, or the Olympic batch, and will be numbered 125 to 155. All units of this batch have been delivered, with the first six units having been delivered by June 2009. All units entered service by the end of June 2010.
The B07 units were the first to operate as 3-car trains in early 2010; the B92 trains followed operating in this way later in 2010. The initial 3-car route was the mainstream Bank to Lewisham route, but the lengthened trains were subsequently operated on other routes as well.