DLR B23 Stock (CAF Inneo)

[TRAX]

CAF has been selected by TfL to build 43 new trains for the Docklands Light Railway that will enter service from 2023. 33 will replace older trains, and 10 will enable the service to be strengthened. Here are two artist impressions.

 

[Glen M]

Are these the ones intended to be full rakes of 6 or still 2 car units ran in pairs of triples?

 

[TRAX]

These are five-car units.

 

[Mikey C]

https://www.caf.net/en/sala-prensa/nota-prensa-detalle.php?e=279

The press release doesn't mention the Wales factory, so I assume they won't be assembled here?

 

[Bletchleyite]

These are five-car units.

Longer vehicles, I guess?

It looks like, they have an extra central window in the end coach and 3 sets of doors on the intermediates rather than 2.

 

[Peter C]

Personally, I think that the first image of the artist's impressions looks the best. I don't like the blue on the front of the DLR units (I know this is an artist's impression, but).
The small blocks on the front are like that of a Class 70 and are designed to stop trains from arcing (for want of a better term) in the event of an accident. No DLR unit has ever used these before (to my knowledge), so why are they being fitted now? Probably Health and Safety gone mad.
Also, the proportions of the front end of that unit in the second image look completely off. Or they will have anthropomorphic trains!
I love the fact that the DLR units all have angled front ends which look as though they should be saving energy through streamlining, but as they are just a large, flat front they don't really do anything, do they?
Just my thoughts.

-Peter

 

[Bletchleyite]

Arcing? They're anti-override blocks. OK, there is no current intention to run them paired, but I'd imagine it costs less to provide for that now than to add it later.

 

[Peter C]

Arcing? They're anti-override blocks. OK, there is no current intention to run them paired, but I'd imagine it costs less to provide for that now than to add it later.

That's what I meant. I just couldn't think of the right term and looking back at it, arcing is electricity isn't it? Oh, what a mess.


-Peter

 

[swt_passenger]

The small blocks on the front are like that of a Class 70 and are designed to stop trains from arcing (for want of a better term) in the event of an accident. No DLR unit has ever used these before (to my knowledge), so why are they being fitted now? Probably Health and Safety gone mad.

The blocks are “anti-override”, and are possibly a more recent general requirement than when the existing DLR vehicles were new, just as they are required on many recent mainline passenger trains. Sometimes they are hidden behind sacrificial bodywork.

 

[Peter C]

The blocks are “anti-override”, and are possibly a more recent general requirement than when the existing DLR vehicles were new, just as they are required on many recent mainline passenger trains. Sometimes they are hidden behind sacrificial bodywork.

OK. Thanks. I meant anti-override, I just couldn't think of the word! See post #8.
I thought it would be a H&S thing.

-Peter

 

[swt_passenger]

OK. Thanks. I meant anti-override, I just couldn't think of the word! See post #8.
I thought it would be a H&S thing.

-Peter

I expect they’ll have to have them on the intermediate ends of all the cars as well, I agree that the front seems odd, but then so does the Dellner/Scharfenberg type coupling.

I notice in their press release they refer to their own train as “5 car”, but the existing as “3 car”. I think many of us would prefer to describe the existing individual units as 2 car, but running in sets of 3, hence 6 car in total. But the same discussion has come up before, I remember the confusion a while back when one of the magazines mentioned that DLR units would be extended and start running as pairs of 3 cars...

 

[class387]

That front end looks horrendous.

 

[Peter C]

I expect they’ll have to have them on the intermediate ends of all the cars as well, I agree that the front seems odd, but then so does the Dellner/Scharfenberg type coupling.

I notice in their press release they refer to their own train as “5 car”, but the existing as “3 car”. I think many of us would prefer to describe the existing individual units as 2 car, but running in sets of 3, hence 6 car in total. But the same discussion has come up before, I remember the confusion a while back when one of the magazines mentioned that DLR units would be extended and start running as pairs of 3 cars...

Oh OK. That seems odd. The existing units are definitely 3 x 2 car sets. Making 6. The new sets are 5 car sets. Making 5. One less than 6. So this seems like a case of "two steps forward, one step back"!

-Peter

 

[swt_passenger]

Oh OK. That seems odd. The existing units are definitely 3 x 2 car sets. Making 6. The new sets are 5 car sets. Making 5. One less than 6. So this seems like a case of "two steps forward, one step back"!

-Peter

The spec was to provide single through gangwayed trains of an equivalent overall length, so presumably each “segment” of the whole thing is about 20% longer, as Bletchleyite suggested in post 5.

 

[Peter C]

The spec was to provide single through gangwayed trains of an equivalent overall length, so presumably each “segment” of the whole thing is about 20% longer, as Bletchleyite suggested in post 5.

Oh OK. Didn't think about that. Thanks!

-Peter

 

[Bletchleyite]

The spec was to provide single through gangwayed trains of an equivalent overall length, so presumably each “segment” of the whole thing is about 20% longer, as Bletchleyite suggested in post 5.

That's probably going to cause the same confusion when a pair of Bombardier units get subbed for a 12-car Desiro formation at Euston - people will whine about a short-form when the train is the same length (and probably has more seats due to less wasted space between vehicles)

And many probably don't realise that an 11-car 390 is a bit longer than a 12-car 350 formation

 

[swt_passenger]

That's probably going to cause the same confusion when a pair of Bombardier units get subbed for a 12-car Desiro formation at Euston - people will whine about a short-form when the train is the same length (and probably has more seats due to less wasted space between vehicles)

And many probably don't realise that an 11-car 390 is a bit longer than a 12-car 350 formation

They could always advertise the length in metres. Although I guess some would object to that as a matter of course...

 

[Bletchleyite]

They could always advertise the length in metres. Although I guess some would object to that as a matter of course...

I suppose you could follow ze dastardly Germans and use "short train", "normal train" and "long train"...

 

[Peter C]

I suppose you could follow ze dastardly Germans and use "short train", "normal train" and "long train"...

Ironic, seen as the old DLR units were sent over to Essen, Germany.....

-Peter

 

[jopsuk]

regarding the number of cars- the DLR has always, itself, referred to each articulated unit as a single car. You don't have to like this, but that's long been the official terminology

 

[Peter C]

regarding the number of cars- the DLR has always, itself, referred to each articulated unit as a single car. You don't have to like this, but that's long been the official terminology

OK. Thanks for that.

-Peter

 

[Mikey C]

That's probably going to cause the same confusion when a pair of Bombardier units get subbed for a 12-car Desiro formation at Euston - people will whine about a short-form when the train is the same length (and probably has more seats due to less wasted space between vehicles)

And many probably don't realise that an 11-car 390 is a bit longer than a 12-car 350 formation

An 11 car is definitely better than a 10 car one. And louder

 

[Peter Mugridge]

That front end looks horrendous.

It doesn't look much different from the existing fleet?

 

[Mikey C]

Another TfL contract which Bombardier have lost, Bombardier have supplied all the DLR stock since 1991

 

[TRAX]

I’d expect relations between the two parties to be a bit tense at the moment.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The press release doesn't mention the Wales factory, so I assume they won't be assembled here?

CAF tweeted earlier that they would be built in Spain.

 

[rebmcr]

Probably Health and Safety gone mad.

H&S legislation is written in blood. Never dismiss it.

the DLR units all have angled front ends

B07 units have a curved glass front, just like these CAF ones.

 

[Peter C]

H&S legislation is written in blood. Never dismiss it.



B07 units have a curved glass front, just like these CAF ones.

Fair point. As much as it is there for safety (as it says in the name), some of it can be quite irritating. But not here. Probably should have thought twice before I posted that.
Forgot about the B07s. I thought I'd seen something familiar when I first saw the concept images for the new units, but didn't cross my mind when I posted that.

-Peter

 

[pieguyrob]

Is it me, or does the unit in the bottom picture look lopsided?

 

[hexagon789]

Is it me, or does the unit in the bottom picture look lopsided?

It does, I think they've tried to make it look as though it's leaning into the curve a bit but they've not got the effect quite right!