KeolisAmey retains the franchise to operate the DLR

Transport for London (TfL) has awarded KeolisAmey a new eight-year contract to operate and maintain the DLR, a franchise they have successfully run for the past 10 years.

The new franchise, which is due to start on 1 April 2025, was awarded to KeolisAmey following a competitive tendering process with the new contract focused on delivering a number of key improvements to help deliver a better customer experience and meet future projected demand for services.

The key improvements include: 

• Making enhancements to timetables to deliver higher frequencies of service and capacity upgrades to support population growth across the network, particularly in parts of Royal Dock and the Isle of Dogs where the DLR is the main transport option 

• Supporting TfL in improving London’s air quality by reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions 

• Supporting TfL’s Vision Zero commitments to eliminate deaths and serious injuries across London’s transport network 

• Helping to improve the customer experience by: 
  • Fully rolling out and promoting Access DLR, a free travel assistance service for anyone over 18 who needs extra support
  • New customer satisfaction targets around the appearance and availability of ticket machines, lifts, escalators and information systems to create a better experience
  • Improved ways to measure performance to ensure customers receive the best possible service 

• New performance incentives to give an increased focus on reducing levels of fare evasion and protecting TfL’s revenue 

• Supporting the introduction of 54 new DLR trains on to the network to help improve the frequency and reliability of services.  The new trains will replace the 33 oldest trains in the fleet, with a further 21 helping boost overall capacity by 50 per cent   

Tom Page, TfL’s General Manager for the DLR, said: "I am looking forward to continuing to work with KeolisAmey. Over the next few years, customers will benefit from a number of improvements, including a fleet of new trains offering increased capacity and frequency, so the continuing support and new ideas KeolisAmey will bring to enhance the experience for customers will be invaluable."

Alistair Gordon, chief executive of Keolis UK, said: "We’re delighted to continue our journey with TfL and are looking forward to working together over the coming years to benefit all DLR customers. KeolisAmey is excited to deliver further improvements to the customer experience, support the introduction of the new trains and enhance capacity on this integral part of London’s transport network." 

With more than 90 million journeys made each year, the DLR is the busiest light railway in the UK. It serves a growing employment centre and cultural hub at Stratford, allowing people from across southeast London to reach new jobs in east London without the need to travel through Zone 1. It also serves Canary Wharf, a vitally important centre for the financial and professional service industries, where it links with the Tube network and the Elizabeth line. 

The DLR operates across six Opportunity Areas in London, which have the potential to provide more than 124,000 homes and 200,000 jobs. There are around 45,000 of these homes either already under construction or with planning permission within walking distance of the DLR.  The new train programme will deliver additional capacity that is essential to support further sustainable growth beyond that already permitted, particularly in parts of the Royal Docks and the Isle of Dogs where the DLR is such a vital transport option.