New DLR trains withdrawn over faulty brakes after just six weeks in service on London light railway

Docklands Light Railway (DLR) trains introduced just six weeks ago have been withdrawn after faulty brakes were discovered. One of the new automated B23 trains overshot a platform, leading to the removal of three services. Engineers are “analysing what the specific root cause of the incident was,” according to Transport for London (TfL).

The trains, originally scheduled for introduction in April 2024, began entering service in early October. Scott Haxton, TfL’s director of capital delivery infrastructure, said: “There’s been no injuries or any negative impact to our customers, it was an isolated incident. The timetable is operating as it was.”

He added: “From a customer service point of view, it’s very much business as usual. Introducing new rolling stock onto any operational railway is incredibly complex and it’s not unusual to experience sort of performance related issues as they are bedding into the new network.”

TfL denied that the situation was embarrassing and did not confirm when the new trains will be fixed, but it has issued an apology. In the meantime, older trains will cover gaps on the light railway, which carries 340,000 passengers a day.

The DLR is also operating a reduced timetable following the retirement of one fifth of its 90 trains, some in service since the early 1990s. TfL expects to have 54 new trains in service by the end of next year.

The B23 stock carriages are air-conditioned, have mobile device charging points and dedicated spaces for wheelchair users. Built by the Spanish company CAF, the trains feature walk-through carriages and are expected to increase capacity by 50 per cent.

At the time of launch, the mayor of London stated that the new trains would “significantly improve reliability and support growth in new homes and jobs, particularly for Londoners in areas like Stratford, Woolwich Arsenal and the Isle of Dogs.”