South London Tramlink Extension Proposals

 

Almost from the day Tramlink was launched in May 2000, proposals to extend it have been wished for and discussed. Apart from Tramlink’s undisputed popularity due to the ease of travelling, there has been considerable development of housing, retail and light industry along the route – parts of which, prior to Tramlink, had been notoriously inaccessible. As well as attracting new development, the opening of Tramlink has improved the lives of residents living in isolated housing areas in south London by providing them with their first reliable and fast public transport to centres such as Croydon and Wimbledon and the employment and leisure opportunities there.

 

The initial list of proposed tram extensions included:

·         an extension from New Addington (where one branch of Tramlink currently terminates), to Biggin Hill with its airport and considerable car-borne commuting traffic

·         extending on from Beckenham Junction to Lewisham, via Bromley and Catford with the potential to link to the Docklands Light Railway

·         proposals for Kingston town centre – potentially linking to Sutton and Wimbledon.

·         a loop running off Ampere Way to serve the west part of the Purley Way industrial and retail area

·         Sutton town centre to Wimbledon (linking into the current system)

·         Sutton town centre to Tooting via Mitcham

·         Coulsdon to Streatham via Purley and Croydon town centres

·         A spur from the current system to Crystal Palace

 

In 2002, Transport for London consultants Oscar Faber Maunsell reported on an initial assessment of the proposals and identified four proposals for immediate further consideration.



A feature of Tramlink is its excellent connectivity with other public transport modes (this was commended in a recent National Audit Office report).  The proposed extensions have the potential to provide even more connectivity:  with Thameslink 2000 (Streatham and Tooting), main-line rail (Sutton, Crystal Palace, Norbury and Streatham), London Underground Northern Line (Tooting and Morden), with the proposed East London Line extension (Crystal Palace and West Croydon), and with the major bus interchange at Crystal Palace.

 

Transport for London (TfL) have commissioned consultants Steer Davies Gleave to investigate the scope for utilising rail lines for the Sutton to Wimbledon and Crystal Palace routes. Their report is due to be finalised by July 2004.  Local Authority transport officers from the London Boroughs of Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth, Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth have been working with TfL to investigate the street running options in more detail, prior to a further TfL study which is likely to be available in early 2005.

 

These studies are an important first step. For Transport for London, the Mayor of London and local political leaders, it is important to thoroughly assess the viability of the proposed extensions, taking into account:

 

Tramlink has clearly demonstrated its potential to not only encourage people out of their cars, relieving congestion, but also as a spur to regeneration.  For south London, without any significant underground system – dependent upon an inadequate road network or a congested, and dilapidated overground rail system – investment in a comprehensive tram system will really make an enormous difference.