Regular readers will know that TfL has been looking to buy some new trains for the DLR, and today has confirmed that it is now seeking a supplier.

The new trains and will provide customers with real time information, air-conditioning and mobile device charging points. The main difference is that instead of fleets of 2 or 3 cars, these will be similar to the modern trains, with a fully walk-through design.

Currently, around 20% of the length of a DLR train is doors, while the average for most metro-grade services is 30% for doors. The design change to fully walk-through carriages also releases more space for doors, so that people can get on and off faster.

The redesigned trains should be able to carry about 10 percent more passengers than the current trains.

TfL will replace two thirds of the existing trains, some of which are 25 years old, and order an additional ten new trains to provide more capacity to the network. The extra trains takes the total capacity increase to 30 percent for the DLR network.

The plans also allow for a further 6 trains to support increased demand on the Stratford to Lewisham line, and an option should a mooted extension to Thamesmead get the go-ahead.

TfL has published a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) seeking expressions of interest from the train manufacturing industry to build the new trains with improved performance and reliability.

A formal Invitation to Tender is expected to be issued in later this year and a contract awarded in Summer 2018.

The DLR will be celebrating its 30th anniversary later this year. It began operating on 31 August 1987, initially running with just 11 trains serving 15 stations. Today, the railway has 45 stations, 38km of track and 56 trains and carries 122 million passengers a year.

The new trains could start to enter service from 2022, following upgrades to depots and signalling.