Transport for London, which abandoned its immediate plans for altering the tram service from New Addington because they had failed to consult the public, has started to consult the public on its plans.
Tram passengers from New Addington are being consulted over timetable changes
The TfL changes will see passengers from the New Addington branch of the network have to change in central Croydon if they want to travel through to Reeves Corner and beyond to Mitcham and Wimbledon.
The first consultation drop-in session was staged yesterday in the town centre, with two further sessions to be staged in New Addington, tomorrow (December 13) from 4pm to 6pm in New Addington Library, and then next Tuesday (December 19; 4pm to 8pm) at the Community Centre on Central Parade.
TfL says that the reasons for the services changes are, “At the moment there can be a long wait for a tram followed by several at once. This causes some trams to be very crowded. It also means it can take a long time to restore a full service after a delay. Without action, these problems will get worse as the network gets busier.
“We have a long-term plan to improve the tram network. Adjusting the timetable is the first step. In future we hope to run more frequent trams on some routes, and we will continue to look at possible extensions.”
The proposed changes include:
- The New Addington service would run to West Croydon, rather than Wimbledon, every 7-8 minutes (the same frequency as now)
- Trams would operate every five minutes between Wimbledon and Arena
- At Arena, each alternate tram would branch off to either Beckenham Junction or Elmers End, providing each branch with a regular 10-minute service
- Most Elmers End services would operate through to Wimbledon rather than West Croydon, except in the evenings and Sundays
- Early morning trams in some areas, including the New Addington and Wimbledon branches, would be more frequent to carry more people
The December 2017 version of TfL’s tram map, with the New Addington branch going around the Croydon loop
TfL claims that the changes would reduce typical wait times for more than three-quarters of customers. “Waiting times would be more predictable, with less uncertainty caused by irregular intervals between trams.”
For more information, and to respond to the public consultation, click here
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