Bidding for 43 new DLR units opens

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TfL opens bidding for 43 new DLR trains
Transport for London (TfL) has taken a step forward in its search for a manufacturer to provide 43 new trains for Docklands Light Railway (DLR).

Plans will see the capacity on the line increase by as much as 30%, with new walk-through trains replacing stock that could be as much as 25 years old.

The four qualified bidders are Alstom Transport UK Ltd, Bombardier Transportation, CAF, and a consortium consisting of Siemens PLC, Stadler Bussang AG and Stadler Rail Valencia SAU – all of which can now proceed to the next stage of the formal procurement process.

The new stock – set to come into service in 2022 – will feature on-board real-time information, air-conditioning, and mobile device charging points for the first time.

Jonathan Fox, TfL’s director of rail and sponsored services, commented: “This important step in the procurement process brings us closer to delivering the new trains needed to support the continued passenger growth on the DLR, which currently carries 122 million customers a year.

“These new trains will enable us to increase capacity on the network by up to 30%, significantly improving the comfort, reliability and quality of our service for customers. They will also support the creation of further jobs and homes in the Docklands area.”

The contract for new stock will be awarded in 2018 and plans are included as part of mayor Sadiq Khan’s draft Transport Strategy.

The DLR also plans to provide several interchanges with Elizabeth Line services between central London, Shenfield and Abbey Wood from 2018. These interchange stations include Canary Wharf, West India Quay, Stratford and Custom House.

Source
Should be interesting to see some of the designs outside of the S stock variant that I believe Bombardier will provide

 

[Domh245]

Should be interesting to see some of the designs outside of the S stock variant that I believe Bombardier will provide

I see no reason why they'd do that. After all, they built all of the stock currently used by the network, so I expect that it'll be a reasonably customised design. I also expect that if they were awarded the contract, the trains would probably be built in one of their european factories - Litchurch Lane has a very full order book after all.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It'll be a light rail vehicle more reminiscent of a big tram or a German U-Bahn EMU. S-stock is a heavy rail EMU, just a very customised one.

 

[F Great Eastern]

Strange consortium for the Siemens bid, I'd have thought they would have proposed something based on their existing products.

 

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I see no reason why they'd do that. After all, they built all of the stock currently used by the network, so I expect that it'll be a reasonably customised design. I also expect that if they were awarded the contract, the trains would probably be built in one of their european factories - Litchurch Lane has a very full order book after all.

Do what? Sell them a design based on the S stock?

 

[Domh245]

Do what? Sell them a design based on the S stock?

Yes, I see no reason why Bombardier would offer an altered S stock design. Like @Bletchleyite says, it's more likely to be a derivative of one of their tram or U-Bahn offerings than an S stock, assuming they don't offer a customised design anyway (using the MOVIA platform)

 

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Because that has been in the rumour mill pipeline for a long time now from sources within DLR. Whether they can build such things at their derby plant is neither here nor there unless they win the bid.

 

[Bungle965]

Strange consortium for the Siemens bid, I'd have thought they would have proposed something based on their existing products.

Not unusual, the duo won the contract to build the new S-Bahn stock in Berlin.
Siemens supplies the electrical components, such as the converters, auxiliary equipment, vehicle control systems, passenger information systems, bogies and the braking system. Stadler is primarily responsible for mechanical components such as car bodies, interior (walls, floors, ceilings), seats, doors, and air conditioning systems.
One would assume that it would be a similar sort of setup if they won the DLR contract.
Sam

 

[Bletchleyite]

Because that has been in the rumour mill pipeline for a long time now from sources within DLR. Whether they can build such things at their derby plant is neither here nor there unless they win the bid.

Could the track handle a heavy rail EMU with a large loading gauge? (It'd be pushing calling something smaller and lighter a derivative).

 

[edwin_m]

I don't know the minimum radius for S stock but pretty sure it won't get round the curves at Poplar!

The dimensions and requirements for the DLR are very similar to those of the high-floor S-bahn networks in Germany, on which the spec for Metrolink was also based. Indeed the original DLR vehicles were sold to Essen. Obvious differences are third rail supply and automatic driving, but these don't really affect the basic structure. I can't immediately track down a list of manufacturers who have supplied to those networks but I would have thought all the majors would be interested in producing something to suit that large market.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I'd have to point out that DLR stock is 2.65m wide whereas S Stock is 2.92m wide; given that it's an integral construction it's not as easy as simply making it narrower and with half length carriage bodies - it would require quite a bit of re-design to the extent that it would almost certainly be easier, quicker and cheaper to build a bespoke design from scratch.

Isn't that pretty much what the existing stock is anyway? A bespoke design?

 

[Mikey C]

I imagine CAF will be desperate to win this, as it'll be some decent work for their new factory and probably a more likely target to win than the NTfL

 

[TheDavibob]

I imagine CAF will be desperate to win this, as it'll be some decent work for their new factory and probably a more likely target to win than the NTfL

How typical is the DLR? Could a Midland Metro/Edinburgh-style tram be reasonably easily modified to the constraints of the DLR, or would tinkering be needed?

 

[Bletchleyite]

The DLR is high-floor - if you based it on a tram it'd have to be something like the Manchester Metrolink design. TBH it more or less is a high-floor tram otherwise.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Yes, I see no reason why Bombardier would offer an altered S stock design. Like @Bletchleyite says, it's more likely to be a derivative of one of their tram or U-Bahn offerings than an S stock, assuming they don't offer a customised design anyway (using the MOVIA platform)

Isn't the S-stock part of the MOVIA range anyway?

The DLR is high-floor - if you based it on a tram it'd have to be something like the Manchester Metrolink design. TBH it more or less is a high-floor tram otherwise.

Doesn't the M5000 design have a low-floor variant available? I thought both low and high floor versions had been supplied to Köln though I could be mistaken.

 

[bluegoblin7]

Isn't the S-stock part of the MOVIA range anyway?

Doesn't the M5000 design have a low-floor variant available? I thought both low and high floor versions had been supplied to Köln though I could be mistaken.

Yes, the S stock (and 2009 tube stock) is part of the Movia family.

There is a low floor version of the M5000 - as seen in Croydon with the CR4000, which came first. Collectively they are part of the Flexity Swift family, which is still offered in various forms.

The existing DLR stock is very much a bespoke design, but built to light rail standards - I.e. not Movia.

 

[Mikey C]

How typical is the DLR? Could a Midland Metro/Edinburgh-style tram be reasonably easily modified to the constraints of the DLR, or would tinkering be needed?

A largely bespoke design will be needed I guess, but it's such a large and prestigious order that the manufacturers will be wiling to do this