Plans to enlarge the DLR’s Beckton Depot to provide a new maintenance building and expanded stabling capability have been given the green light to proceed. Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that Morgan Sindall Infrastructure will be the main delivery partner for these major works.

The expansion of the depot and the additional sidings forms part of the larger DLR train programme that will see 54 new DLR trains start to enter service from 2024.

Thirty-three of the new trains will replace some of the oldest rolling stock, which are more than 30 years old and coming to the end of their design life, while 21 additional trains will boost capacity across the DLR network.

These major works will deliver a new maintenance building, including a new train-lifting road, craneage, under train access and pits to enable the final assembly of the new trains and longer-term maintenance facilities as more of the new fleet is introduced. A new test track facility will also be constructed to allow testing of the new Thales signalling system that will be introduced for both the new trains and the existing fleet that is being retained.

With an expanding fleet, designed to keep pace with growing demand in east London, additional stabling to store the trains is required. The existing southern sidings will be extended and additional sidings will be constructed to the north of the new maintenance building, making a total of six new sidings accommodating 15 trains when the work is complete.

The main depot works at Beckton are expected to be completed in 2024 with all the new DLR trains due to enter service by 2026.

At some point in the future, the smaller Poplar depot will also be rebuilt, but that’s mainly because they plan to build some blocks of flats above the site while keeping the trains below.

All images from the planning application