Stannah Lift Services has begun a 6.6yr comprehensive lift and escalator maintenance programme for the Docklands Light Railway network.

The contract was awarded through KeolisAmey Docklands (KAD), the DLR franchisee. A separate contract has also been awarded by CGLRail, who maintain the infrastructure from Mudchute Station, through Island Gardens, through Cutty Sark, Greenwich, Deptford Bridge and Lewisham.

Jon Stannah, Joint Managing Director, Stannah Lift Services comments:

‘We have been working with DLR during 2014 and are delighted to extend our successful working relationship with the award of the rail operator’s maintenance portfolio. Of course, the need for reliable maintenance is paramount on this unique automatically operated rail network that, in the fiscal year 2013, carried 101.5 million passengers.’

The maintenance contract value of more than £2.5M over 6.6yrs (with a 2.5 extension available), currently covers 113 units; 87 lifts and 26 escalators and includes all maintenance, breakdowns and trap-ins. The contract also includes all 6 monthly LOLER inspections, Oil sampling every 6 months and escalator step cleaning every 12 weeks.

All maintenance has to be carried out during non-operational hours, these are between 01.00hrs to 05.30hrs and are strictly monitored to meet the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) applied to the contract, these include a 30-minute reaction time for trap-ins and breakdowns.

The existing portfolio contains lifts and escalators that have been installed from the original opening of the DLR in 1990, so no equipment is more than 25 years old. Since then the line has had many changes, most recently additional lifts being installed for the Olympics, 2012 and for Crossrail at Pudding Mill Lane, 2014.