The bidders include:
- Stagecoach Rail Projects
- a joint venture of Keolis UK and Amey Rail
- a joint venture of Go-Ahead and Colas Rail, and
- Serco
Expressions of interest were invited last July and TfL says it will issue a formal invitation to tender to within the next few weeks. A preferred bidder will be selected by the middle of next year.
Since April 1997 the DLR has been operated by Serco, which was awarded an 18-month extension to its current contract in January this year.
The 38km driverless network has 45 stations and played a key role in providing transport for the Olympic Games, which pushed passenger numbers beyond 100 million for the first time last year.