Croydon’s tram network looks set to be hit by three days of strike action, once the last tram runs on Sunday, May 5.
Pay point: tram services will be significantly disrupted during the engineers’ strike
The tram disruption coincides with national rail strikes between Monday May 6 and Saturday May 11.
Unite the union has called the tram strike because of what it calls “a massive pay disparity” between engineers working on trams and their Transport for London colleagues doing similar work on the Tube.
Around 60 tram, stores and infrastructure engineers are angry that their colleagues on the London Underground, who require the same qualifications and perform the same roles, are paid up to £10,000 more a year.
Unite delayed its strike action while TfL was conducting “essential” maintenance work on the tram network, lasting most of April and cutting off services from Beckenham Junction and New Addington through to East Croydon. The strike will affect the whole of the network.
TfL is advising customers “to plan ahead, consider alternative routes, check before they travel and allow extra time to complete their journeys” during the duration of the strike, which is due to last until late on Wednesday, May 8.
Customers are advised to visit tfl.gov.uk/strikes for the latest information.
“From Sunday May 5 until Thursday May 9, Unite the Union members, who maintain the trams and infrastructure, are planning to strike impacting the London Trams network. If the action goes ahead, there will be a reduced service expected on the whole of the London Trams network for some of these days,” TfL said.
The trams carrying 22million passengers per years.
TfL staff and “Travel Ambassadors” (what?!!) “will be deployed on the busiest parts of the London Trams network to assist customers with their onward journeys,” TfL said. These locations include Addington Village, Beckenham Junction, East Croydon, Elmers End, West Croydon and Wimbledon.
For more information on how rail services will be affected during the May 5-11 strike, visit the National Rail website.
On the trams, TfL summarises the service plans here:
Sunday May 5: A normal London Trams service is expected to operate.
Monday May 6, Tuesday May 7 and Wednesday May 8: No service expected before 7am or after 6pm on the whole of the London Trams network.
A reduced service will operate between: Wimbledon and Reeves Corner and from East Croydon to Beckenham Junction and New Addington. No service will operate through Croydon town centre or to and from Elmer’s End all day.
Next tram information displayed at tram stops will offer limited information.
Thursday May 9: Services are expected to start later than normal, with possible disruption throughout the day. Next tram information displayed at tram stops will offer limited information.
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Is the tram system planning to run uninterrupted for a period of more than 10 days at any point this year? I’ve given up using it.
When are trams going to run again