£900m UK Trains Stuck in Spain Due to Signalling and Depot Issues

TfL spent about £942 million on new DLR trains. Most of these trains are stuck in Spain now. TfL announced new turquoise DLR trains in June 2023. The project hasn’t been easy at all.

They planned to have 54 new trains running by April, but many issues arose. Thirty-four of the forty built are in Spain, sitting at the CAF factory. Signalling problems arose, and a TfL contractor’s collapse halted depot work.

TfL needed to replace 33 old DLR trains, some of which are over thirty years old. Commuters would be very happy with new trains.

A TfL person blamed Buckingham Group’s collapse. This group was building a new train depot. The company collapsed in 2023, citing inflation from the Ukraine conflict.

Braking system issues caused the delay too. Integrating it with track signals became problematic. They needed current DLR trains to keep running. A new train slid past its stopping point in a test.

TfL leaders say trains will start service soon. They expect all 54 trains to run by summer 2026.

New trains replace 33 very old trains, some over 30 years old. The new trains improve service frequency, boost reliability, and support growth. The DLR is key transport in some areas.

The trains are currently stored in Spain, awaiting their turn to go into service. A depot contractor going bust caused delays, and signalling issues also created problems, states TfL.

They are working to bring trains into service faster. TfL wants the new trains running before this year ends.