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Docklands Light Railway

DLR train at Canary Wharf manual driving controls view from the front of the train

The DLR has a total of 94 trains in service, built by BN Construction/Bombardier in Bruges. They are two-car articulated units, which normally operate with two units coupled together. There are three batches of trains in service, made up of two types, designated B90, B92 and B2K—following the convention for London Underground surface rolling stock, the '90' '92' and '2K' (ie. '2000') giving an indication of the year of construction. B92 and B2K stock were built to the same design; B2K stock trains were delivered with changes to internal and external colour schemes made to comply with updated disability discrimination legislation.

Delivery has commenced of a new batch of 24 units, designated B07 stock; these will be followed by a further batch of 31 units, designated B09 stock. These units will be used when the platform extension works have been completed to enable 3-unit trains, and for the new services to Woolwich Arsenal and Stratford International.

B07 unit B07 unit interior B07 unit interior

When the DLR opened in 1987, it was operated with just eleven trains of P86 stock (numbered 01–11), built by German manufacturer LHB. These were joined in 1989 by 10 cars of P89 stock (numbered 12–21) built by British Rail Engineering Ltd. (BREL). The P86 stock was sold to EVAG in Essen, Germany in 1991, as it was unsuitable for operation in the Bank tunnel; P89 stock followed in 1997.

DLR rolling stock is unique in a number of ways. The trains are designed for full Automatic Train Operation (ATO), and so have no seperate driver's cab. The train may be driven manually by the Passenger Service Agent (formerly Train Captain), by controls normally kept locked under cover at the front of the train, but in normal operation the PSA's only intervention is to press a start button from a position within the passsenger saloon after closing the doors, after which the train proceeds under automatic control. The lack of a cab means unrivalled views from the front passenger seats, particularly spectacular on the ride through the Isle of Dogs.

DLR units coupled inside B92 inside refurbished B92

The other unique feature is the method of current collection—traction current is supplied at 750Vdc through a third rail, but with the current collector making contact with the underside of the conductor rail, which is insulated on the top and sides.

Fleet list

B90 stock

Delivered 1991

Fleet numbers 22–44 (following on from original P86/89 stock fleet numbers)

B92 stock

Delivered from 1992

Fleet numbers 45–91

B2K stock

Delivered 2002–2003

Fleet numbers 1–16 and 92–99

B07 stock

Delivery commenced in 2007

Fleet numbers 101–124

B09 stock

Delivery due to commence in 2009

Fleet numbers 125–155

Complete listing

Click on unit number for pictures

Unit numberTypeLivery
01 B2K DLR
02 B2K DLR
03 B2K DLR
04 B2K DLR
05 B2K DLR
06 B2K DLR
07 B2K DLR
08 B2K DLR
09 B2K DLR
10 B2K DLR
11 B2K DLR
12 B2K DLR
13 B2K DLR
14 B2K DLR
15 B2K DLR
16 B2K DLR
22 B90 DLR
23 B90 DLR
24 B90 DLR
25 B90 DLR
26 B90 DLR
27 B90 DLR
28 B90 DLR
29 B90 DLR
30 B90 DLR
31 B90 DLR
32 B90 DLR
33 B90 DLR
34 B90 DLR
35 B90 DLR
36 B90 DLR
37 B90 DLR
38 B90 DLR
39 B90 DLR
40 B90 DLR
41 B90 DLR
42 B90 DLR
43 B90 DLR
44 B90 DLR
45 B92 DLR
46 B92 DLR
47 B92 DLR
48 B92 DLR
49 B92 DLR
50 B92 DLR
51 B92 DLR
52 B92 DLR
53 B92 DLR
54 B92 DLR
55 B92 DLR
56 B92 DLR
57 B92 DLR
58 B92 DLR
59 B92 DLR
60 B92 DLR
61 B92 DLR
62 B92 DLR
63 B92 DLR
64 B92 DLR
65 B92 DLR
66 B92 DLR
67 B92 DLR
68 B92 DLR
69 B92 DLR
70 B92 DLR
71 B92 DLR
72 B92 DLR
73 B92 DLR
74 B92 DLR
75 B92 DLR
76 B92 DLR
77 B92 DLR
78 B92 DLR
79 B92 DLR
80 B92 DLR
81 B92 DLR
82 B92 DLR
83 B92 DLR
84 B92 DLR
85 B92 DLR
86 B92 DLR
87 B92 DLR
88 B92 DLR
89 B92 DLR
90 B92 DLR
91 B92 DLR
92 B2K DLR
93 B2K DLR
94 B2K DLR
95 B2K DLR
96 B2K DLR
97 B2K DLR
98 B2K DLR
99 B2K DLR
101 § B07  
102 § B07  
103 § B07  
104 B07 revised DLR
105 B07 revised DLR
106 B07 revised DLR
107 B07 revised DLR
108 B07 revised DLR
109 B07 revised DLR
110 B07 revised DLR
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112 B07 revised DLR
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§ unit due for delivery 2008–2009
B07 cars which have been delivered are not yet in service

Liveries

The original DLR livery, as applied to P66 and P89 stock, comprised a blue skirt and blue body, a red band with white stripe top and bottom below the windows sweeping up around red doors. The 'Docklands' fleetname was applied on the sides at car ends, in Rockwell typeface. The livery has also been used with a more recent DLR logo.

B2K stock was delivered with the same livery as above, but with doors painted white to comply with recent disability regulations that require vehicle doors to be visually distinctive. In this version of the livery, the red band and white stripes do not sweep around doors.

The current DLR livery was introduced in 2004, and is now carried by all B90, B92 and B2K units. This comprises a red base with a blue wavey band (representing the River Thames) along bodyside, silver doors and a turquoise and dark blue 'DLR' variant of the TfL roundel on bodysides and on car ends underneath windscreen. The new B07 units carry a variant of this livery with black ends and window surrounds ('revised DLR').

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