The Anonymous Widower

How To Take A Ride On A New Docklands Light Railway Train

This article on the BBC is entitled After Delays, New Trains Finally Arrive On The DLR.

This is the sub-heading.

The first of 54 new trains for the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is now in service, featuring “the latest technology”, according to Transport for London (TfL)

These two paragraphs add more details.

The new carriages are air-conditioned, have mobile device charging points and dedicated spaces for wheelchair users.

They will replace the oldest trains in the DLR fleet, some of which have been in service for more than three decades, with “modern, high-capacity trains designed to meet the needs of a growing city”, said TfL.

I travelled to West Ham station this morning and took these pictures on a journey to Woolwich Arsenal.

Note.

1. The Docklands Light Railway and the Jubilee Line are on the same level and connected by the bridge in West Ham station.
2. The old DLR trains have red bodywork and the new trains have light blue bodywork.
3. The first train through was a test train.
4. The last row of pictures show the comparative length of the two trains at Woolwich Arsenal station.

These are some more detailed thoughts.

The Length Of The New Trains

The original cars are 28 metres long.

• Running as a 2-car train, the trains are 56 metres long.
• Running as a 3-car train, the trains are 84 metres long.
• The new 5-car trains are 86.7 metres long.

I asked Google AI how many seats were in a DLR train and received this answer.

A DLR (Docklands Light Railway) train’s seat count varies by the specific rolling stock, but newer trains have a higher capacity; for example, the new B23 rolling stock is a 5-coach unit replacing older, coupled 3-car trains and offers a total capacity of 790 passengers, with 156 seats. Older trains typically consist of two cars and have 70 seats per car for a total of 140 seats.

Newer B23 Rolling Stock:
Each 5-coach train has 156 seats.
It can carry a total of 790 passengers.

Older Trains:
These trains generally consist of two cars coupled together.
Each car has 70 seats, making for a total of 140 seats in a typical two-car train.
Older, single-unit trains may have had fewer seats, as a current 3-car train had about 680 passengers in total capacity.

West Ham Was A Good Place To Start A First Ride

Consider.

• At the present time, there aren’t many trains running on the DLR.
• There may only be a couple of trains running between Stratford International and Woolwich Arsenal.
• West Ham is an island platform, so the train goes by on both sides, which also makes it easy to get on a single train.
• West Ham is a well-connected station.

I did have to wait about thirty minutes for the train to arrive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2, 2025 - Posted by AnonW | Design, Transport/Travel | CAF, Docklands Light Railway, West Ham Station, Woolwich Arsenal Station