FROM THE OPERATOR: KEVIN THOMAS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KEOLISAMEY DOCKLANDS

“Commencing on December 7 2014, we are now well into our third year as franchise operator and are responsible for the operation of all services, along with the maintenance of rolling stock and infrastructure assets.

“The franchise is very collaborative in nature and we have a strong relationship with Docklands Light Railway Limited, with which we share a joint strategy and vision of delivering service excellence every day.

“We work closely together to ensure customers receive the best service and customer experience possible, and to build upon the reputation of the DLR as a very high-performance railway. With demand rising year on year, we have experienced more than a 10% increase in passenger journeys in our first two years of this franchise. This makes DLR the sixth busiest railway in the UK, carrying over 122 million passengers in 2016-17.

“None of this would be possible without the team of people we have working here - they are a key feature of the DLR success story. There is a real sense of unity with a dedication to the community and railway, which is evidenced by the great levels of passion and pride that I see every day.

“Our team of community ambassadors also play an important role, working with our local communities and helping people to get around on the DLR. They carry out 10,000 accessibility trips each year, hold open days and attend local events to give travel advice and answer questions; all intended to make the DLR more accessible, providing mobility to more people than ever before.

“Transport for London is one of the largest transport bodies in the world; it is a good client with big aspirations. The DLR is an iconic, high-performance railway and we are very proud to be trusted to run the DLR on its behalf. With Keolis and Amey as the parent companies of this franchise, we can draw on a vast range of expertise within these organisations to share best practice from their global operations.

“This has helped us to deliver exceptional levels of performance, consistently above 99% and achieving beyond 99.5% more recently. We have achieved record levels of customer satisfaction for the DLR and we’re introducing new initiatives to improve this even further. Such achievements can only help strengthen the DLR’s reputation for excellence and best practice.

“Our experience at the DLR is also helping Keolis and Amey, by sharing best practice from such an iconic railway. Members of our team are able to provide information and experience that contribute to bids for other transport contracts, for example the recent successful bid for the Manchester Metrolink system (KeolisAmey Metrolink), which began in July this year.

“The DLR is at the heart of developments in east London. It plays a key role in the ongoing regeneration of the area, which is contributing to the continuing increase in residential and commercial populations. This shows no sign of slowing down, and long may it continue, together with the benefits for local people.

“The success and expansion of the DLR over the last 30 years has shown how integral transport can be to its communities and the legacy it can provide for an area - and the next 30 years look to be just as exciting. On behalf of the whole KAD team, I wish DLR a very happy 30th birthday.”