I finally rode the new DLR trains!

Last weekend I managed something that I have significantly failed to do previously, namely, riding the new Docklands Light Railway trains. So, what are they like? Short answer, they have their pluses and their minuses. Long answer, the rest of this video. The new trains are officially known as the B23 stock, they were built by CAF in Spain. They were built with the aim of replacing the B90, B92 and B2K stock, which is getting a little long in the tooth. The B23s are 5 coaches long and have a capacity of 792 passengers per unit. 54 have been built. And the elephant in the room is that they have taken quite a long time to enter service. They were ordered in 2019, with an additional order being made in 2023. They were tested on the DLR and the initial batch of units went into service in 2025. And then it turned out that they had braking issues with a unit overrunning at Canning Town. This was due to low railhead adhesion, which is a fancy way of saying slippery track. You do not want trains overrunning, it tends to end quite badly. So, they were withdrawn again in November, and they finally re-entered service a few days ago. I have seen some complaints that it's taken so long, but to be honest, the real question is, why did it take so long for the braking problem to emerge? I feel like with its steep gradients, sharp curves and rapid acceleration and deceleration, these problems should have popped up during the extensive early testing. In other words, I can understand why TfL might have been rather cautious about reintroducing these things. At present, the trains are only in service on the line from Woolwich Arsenal to Stratford International. They are currently, I understand, being tested elsewhere. While I was chasing them to make this video, we were warned that trains shown as going to Becton on this line were in fact under test. While the DLR is famously driverless, these were driver... full. They had drivers, is what I mean. Once they're all bedded in and settled down, they will be driverless. That's not to say they will be unstaffed. It's an enduring myth that the DLR is unstaffed. Stylistically, these things look more modern than what came before while maintaining the same approximate look. DLR trains have tended to be rather boxy, whereas these days we like our smoothed off edges, apparently. I also rather like the new livery. I am not a fan of the current DLR livery, the bright red one. I think it's harsh. I don't think the blue and turquoise accents really work, and we've already got plenty of red transport in London. But I also think the great thing about the new livery is that it gives the DLR a modal colour. Most of the modes of transport in London have modal colours that differentiate them from the rest. Maybe the best way to illustrate this is by example. The Elizabeth Line's main modal colour is purple. The Overground is orange. The trams are green. And now the DLR is turquoise. Actually, I have made a whole video about the DLR turquoise thing, which I assumed would come out before these trains were in service, and now it's going to have to be reworked, but if you want to see it, it's over on Patreon with about four weeks worth of other videos that are in the pipeline. Speaking of plugs, these trains do include a number of modern features, including charging sockets. Actually, not that many of them, though. I spotted the odd one here and there. There were some at the end of the train, but most of the seats did not appear to be equipped with them. Something I would say is that, while these are nice and all, I'm not saying don't put them in, I'd question how useful they are on a DLR journey. The DLR is very much designed for short journeys. I don't think at present there are any journeys you can take that are over half an hour without changing trains. Your average commuter is probably going to be spending less than 20 minutes on the train, so how much charging can you actually get done? I mean, I don't know how fast these things are at charging. I suppose it depends. Which is interesting because, in general, I feel like these trains have been designed with short journeys in mind. Now, remember I said that there was the capacity for 792 people? Well, only 156 of those people are seated. The seats are longitudinal rather than transverse. The old trains did have some longitudinal seating, but it's a mix. It's clear that the majority of passengers are meant to be standing, which would be a problem for long journeys, but, as I say, these trains are not really designed for, or even used for, long journeys. I would say that the seats that exist are noticeably harder than the ones on the old trains, and I do feel like they could have gone for something a bit more comfortable, or at least better shaped. There is more space for wheelchairs, pushchairs, and so forth. Generally, I would say that the DLR is pretty good for accessibility, in that every station has step-free access, so this is, IMO, a good move. The DLR is the most used form of public transport in many of the areas it serves, so it should really be as user-friendly as possible for all users. Actually, what with London City Airport being on the route, this extra space will also be useful for luggage. These trains also have a walk-through layout. With previous trains, they were made up of two or three trains coupled together. Each of the old trains is an articulated unit, which is usually referred to as one carriage, even though it's kind of two? Anyway, point is, those trains are not walk-through, and every carriage has two driver's cabs taking up space. These trains are fixed rakes of five open-ended carriages. Other new features include lights to indicate when doors are opening and closing, information screens, and air conditioning. Oh, plus this cool control panel at the front with sound buttons for the kids, as if it's only going to be kids playing with that. It's hard to make a comparison between these and the older trains that won't be blindingly obvious. They have more space, they hold more people, they're not so worn out, they have more features, but the seats are harder. I think the real test is going to be when they go into service on other lines. For instance, the ride west of Shadwell is a very rough one, and I would be interested to see how the B23s cope with that. It's possible that it's going to be a little different. The shaking comes from the track layout versus the shape of the wheels. It is hoped that these trains will lead to improved reliability, but again it's easy to say that when these trains are brand new and the others are, at minimum, 20 years old. Generally I like them, but I suspect it'll be a good year or so before a fair verdict can be given. All that aside, I think it's worth pointing out that these trains represent a shift in the way the people running the DLR view it. When the network was first opened in 1987, it was a fairly minimal system, largely using existing infrastructure and built on a budget of £77 million, which was cheap even in 1987. The reason we've had these two or three units coupled together trains is because it was assumed that the single units were all that would be needed. Early publicity material, of which I have a great deal, depicts single units. For various reasons, these proved insufficient almost immediately. Firstly, the Docklands was poorly served by public transport generally, and the roads weren't capable of holding large amounts of traffic. Secondly, Canary Wharf. You really can't talk about the history of the DLR without Canary Wharf looming large, literally and figuratively, but basically it was a factor not considered in the original plans. Several of the stations have had to be rebuilt to allow three coach trains because, during planning, no-one could conceive of a world in which three carriages could be filled, and yet they consistently are. Despite all this, the second generation of rolling stock, the aforementioned B1992 and 2K trains, were designed with the same basic assumptions in mind. The B23s are the first trains representing the admission that, actually, the DLR is not a glorified tram, it's a full-blown metro system, and it needs trains that match that. They are the first future-proof trains, intended to match the growth of the system and the neighbourhoods it serves. So, when it comes to transport in East London, they are a new weapon in TfL's arsenal. Well, I do hope you enjoyed today's video. If you did, please do leave a like and consider subscribing for more. I would like as ever to thank my donors on Ko-Fi, on Patreon, and here on YouTube for your generous support. You are the sound effect buttons to my carriage end. And I will see you all again very soon. Cheerio.