A manufacturer with a Newport base has won a contract to supply 43 driverless trains for the Docklands Light Railway.

CAF, which has a manufacturing site at Celtic Business Park on the east of the city, has been awarded the contract to design, manufacture and supply a fleet of 43 trains for the DLR by Transport for London. The contract will include a Fleet Support Agreement to provide technical support services and spares supply.

A spokesman for CAF said they could not yet confirm whether the trains would be built in Newport.

The state-of-the-art five-car trains will be based on CAF’s hugely successful Metro vehicle design, with the first entering passenger service from 2023.

Thirty-three trains will replace DLR’s oldest rolling stock, which is nearly 30 years old and 10 will increase frequency and capacity across the network.

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The new trains will be a similar length to the current three-car trains currently operating on the DLR but providing a number of customer improvements, including the latest audio and visual real-time travel information, air conditioning, mobile device charging points, multi-use areas - which can accommodate pushchairs, bicycles and luggage - and dedicated wheelchair spaces.

Richard Garner, CAF's UK director, said: "We are delighted to be awarded such a significant contract by Transport for London to supply trains for the UK's busiest light railway.

"It is the latest in a number of recent awards including the supply and maintenance of DMU’s for the Wales and Borders Franchise, the rehabilitation of 43 RER MI2N units for the Paris Metro network and the supply and maintenance of 29 regional diesel-electric units for the Australian state of New South Wales."

Jon Fox, TfL’s director of rail and sponsored services, said: “Replacing the oldest trains on the DLR and introducing a new modern fleet will ensure the railway continues to support the current and future growth in the Docklands area."

The modernisation of the DLR is a key part of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy to make London a greener, more accessible place to live, work and visit as well as supporting new jobs and homes.