KeolisAmey has signed a new franchise agreement to operate and maintain the 40km of infrastructure and 45 stations of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) for eight more years.

KeolisAmey took on the operation of the network in 2014, since when it has improved physical infrastructure and operations, so that today on-time departures are an industry-leading 99% and customer satisfaction is at an annual rate of 89%.

Fifty-four new trains will also be rolled out to provide a service throughout the network, which carries an average of 122 million passengers annually, making it the UK’s busiest light rail network.

KeolisAmey also operates other UK networks, and in July 2024, Transport for Greater Manchester extended its contract with the company to operate and maintain Manchester’s tram network until July 2027.

“We’re proud of the role we ve played in establishing the DLR as the gold standard for automated light rail networks across the world. Now we re laser-focused on making the network even better. That will involve investing in our communities, customers and colleagues, working closely with TfL and implementing the latest technologies available to drive improvements in the system. We’re fortunate to be in a place to be able to improve the system through our expertise and experience taken from operating systems all over the world. This is an exciting time for DLR passengers and we’re looking forward to seeing what the course of the new contract brings for the network.”

Alistair Gordon, chief executive of Keolis UK

“Over the last ten years, we’ve learnt so much about DLR from the nuances of the rail infrastructure through to specific passenger needs for the service. We’ve used this knowledge to enhance the network and consistently achieve high performance standards. We’re now looking forward to further building on our asset management expertise, introducing new trains to the network alongside TfL, integrating data insights into operational delivery and continuing to make sure DLR retains its reputation as one of the world s leading automated metros.”

Peter Anderson, managing director at Amey