Joint venture KeolisAmey will remain the operator of the DLR network in London, UK after signing a new eight-year contract with Transport for London (TfL). 

The company has operated the network since 2015 and will now continue to cover operations and maintenance for the light metro system until at least 2033, alongside introducing “key improvements” outlined in the new contract. 

Alistair Gordon, CEO of Keolis UK, said: “We're delighted to continue our journey with TfL and are looking forward to working together over the coming years to benefit all DLR customers.” 

Improvements agreed in the new contract will include more frequent services and capacity upgrades, work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the introduction of 54 new DLR trains to the network to both replace 33 older trains and increase the size of the fleet. 

KeolisAmey will also be held to new performance incentives designed to increase its focus on reducing fare evasion and “protecting TfL’s revenue”, in line with the authority’s desire to keep income high in the face of lower government funding. 

TfL also called on KeolisAmey to introduce direct customer experience improvements on the network, including the full roll-out of the Access DLR free travel assistance service and new customer satisfaction targets on the availability of ticket machines, lifts, escalators, and information systems. 

Tom Page, TfL’s general manager for DLR, said: “Over the next few years, customers will benefit from a number of improvements, including a fleet of new trains offering increased capacity and frequency, so the continuing support and new ideas KeolisAmey will bring to enhance the experience for customers will be invaluable.” 

The new contract continues Keolis and Amey’s strong presence in the UK light rail sector and comes shortly after the joint two companies received an extension for their contract on the operation of Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink tram network.