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London’s famous driverless trains are getting a glow up. New locomotives for the DLR, which launched in 1987, are being tested in Spain before they make their way to the UK in 2024. You can stop holding your breath because pics have finally been released, and they're coming in new colours!
The new trains can reach 50mph, are 86.7m long and hold up to 793 passengers. They’re currently undergoing ‘dynamic testing’ in Spain, where they have to run 20,000 km along a test track. The fresh white and turquoise carriages are better looking than the old red and blue ones, some of which date back to 1991, that are currently zooming along the Docklands.
Although the trains will be longer, there will be fewer seats overall in the carriages to make space for more passengers. Don’t worry though, the coveted front seats aren’t going anywhere, so eager riders can still experience the ‘driver's eye view’ from the train.
The DLR depot at Beckton is being extended to prepare for the arrival of the newbies. A photo released shows they seem to be making good progress, despite an incident early this year when contractors dug an unsupported hole which risked collapsing on itself.
So far, only four of the new trains have been built, with 39 still to go, but this is still subject to TfL’s funding. 43 trains are expected to replace 33 of the current DLR trains, being slowly introduced over two years from 2024 to 2026.
Goodbye blue and red, hello turquoise and white!
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