A new reduced timetable for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has been implemented due to delays in the introduction of trains scheduled for April 2024.
There will be no services from Beckton to Canning Town or Stratford International, and trains operating between Stratford and Lewisham will be suspended during peak morning hours from 06:30 to 10:00 BST, as well as during the evening rush from 16:00 to 19:00.
This summer, one-fifth of the DLR’s fleet of 90 trains, some of which date back to the early 1990s, will be retired. By the end of next year, 54 new air-conditioned trains are expected to be in service.
Stuart Harvey, Transport for London’s chief capital officer, remarked, “We must begin to phase out some of our oldest trains, which necessitates these temporary adjustments to the timetable.”
He continued, “We regret any inconvenience this may cause for passengers, but these changes are essential to uphold the reliability and safety of our service.”
According to TfL, services between Canary Wharf and Stratford will operate every five minutes during peak times and every six and a half minutes off-peak.
Trains from Bank to Lewisham will continue to run as scheduled; however, passengers will need to transfer at Canary Wharf to complete their journeys.
TfL aims to deploy the 54 new trains, which will enhance capacity by 50% while replacing the oldest 33 units in its fleet by the close of 2026.
Additionally, the June report from the Transport for London commissioner mentioned efforts to “resolve the signalling issues” that were identified during testing last year.
