TRANSPORT for London (TfL) temporarily withdrew three new CAF B23 trains from passenger service on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) on November 12. TfL described the move as a precautionary measure, following an issue with braking performance on one train during wet weather.
An investigation was initiated on the same day to fully understand the cause and return the trains to service. Although TfL acknowledged that it was dealing with an isolated incident relating to a single train, it says that safety concerns led it to withdrawal all of the new trains.
Engineering teams from TfL, DLR operator KeolisAmey Docklands, and CAF will work together to understand and resolve the problem, which emerged when a train did not stop in the planned position at a platform because of low adhesion during wet weather. This is not an issue with the existing fleet.
“Introducing new trains is never without challenges and until our engineering teams complete their investigations, we will continue to operate DLR services using our existing fleet,” says Stuart Harvey, chief capital officer at TfL.
According to TfL, service levels on the DLR will not be impacted by the temporary withdrawal of the new trains, which are the first of 54 trains that entered service last month under a phased programme that was due to complete by the end of next year.
TfL says a review will consider whether the overall schedule for the project will be affected by the adhesion issue.
