Londoners are enduring massive travel disruption, with a national rail strike and M25 motorway closure, and now the tram network is struggling to provide a regular service
Off-track: at least a dozen trams are damaged and in need of repair
Croydon’s trams, on the day that services were meant to return to “normal” after a three-day strike by engineers, are “severely disrupted”, according to Transport for London. Just eight trams were available and in working order yesterday, sources have told Inside Croydon.
The trams have suffered “damage to tram wheels caused by debris on the line”, TfL says.
Vandalism to the tracks and trams has been discounted by the operators, who suggest that more than a dozen trams are currently unavailable.
With engineers on strike earlier this week, few if any repairs were being undertaken until today, when work is being undertaken to return as many of the fleet to working order as quickly as possible.
“We’re playing catch-up,” the source said.
Disruption “is likely to continue into the weekend and beyond”, an official statement from TfL said.
There is currently no service between Reeves Corner, Beckenham Junction, Elmers End and New Addington “due to a shortage of trams”, according to the TfL travel guide web page.
“We are working hard to repair the damage as quickly as possible and are sorry for the disruption this is causing while repair work is carried out,” said TfL.
This latest disruption to tram services follows a two-week closure in February for “essential maintenance” and then a month’s part-closure throughout April, when there was no service from East Croydon to New Addington or Beckenham Junction.
“We are boosting local bus services in the area to help enable journeys. Plan ahead, allow more time for your journey and check before you travel,” is the best that TfL could offer.
And good luck if you were hoping to travel anywhere at all in the next few days.
There are national rail strikes until Saturday May 11, while a section of the M25 in Surrey is due to close at 9pm on Friday night for 60 hours for major infrastructure works.
For more information on how rail services are affected, visit the National Rail website.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
FREE ADS: Paid-up subscribers to Inside Croydon qualify for a free ad for their business, residents’ association or community group, just one of the benefits of being part of our online community. For more information about being an iC subscriber, click here for our Patreon page
PAID ADS: To advertise your services or products to our near 10,000 weekday visitors to the site, which is featured on Google News Showcase and followed by 16,000 on Twitter/X, email us inside.croydon@btinternet.com for our unbeatable ad rates
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
As featured on Google News Showcase
- Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
- Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, as well as BBC London News and ITV London
ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SEVENTH successive year in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
The trams and TfL have been a complete farce in recent months.
During the ‘big’ closure, the information from TfL regarding the replacement buses was totally wrong (wrong stop at East Croydon, wrong route numbers published initially); the signposting and information was minimal or non-existent; the replacement bus stop for Addiscombe was half a mile from the actual stop, and the regular buses have been so overcrowded that it’s often impossible to board.
Their neglect of the tram network and regular passengers – particularly those who are more vulnerable or have disabilities – is deplorable.
That is Khan’s TFL for you. Good luck for the next4 years
Oh dear.
The sore losers are so very sore
Isn’t it strange that the trams suddenly develop “square wheels” when there is industrial action going on? I recall something similar in my commuting days on the Piccadilly Line (I think) when suddenly most of the rolling stock had wheel issues but on no other line.
No, it isn’t. This is exactly what happens when a fleet approaches or exceeds its designed life span (Tramlink CR4000, Picc 73 stock, etc), especially so when maintenance budgets are under pressure and cut below a certain threshold. This is then compounded by supply chain issues for parts. The same is happening with various DfT controlled mainline operators (455s, 319s, etc).
It’s wheely serious (I’ll get me coat)
Am I correct in thinking that most of the Croydon trams are 25 years old and overdue for replacement?
Yes, Adrian.
The procurement process was interrupted by covid, and the government has not yet provided the funding for capital replacement.
TfL has begun its tendering process.
Surely, as the trams are part of TfL’s public transport network and the responsibility of the Mayor London, they should be funded by TfL’s usual means for rolling stock replacement? Is he asking Government for even more money? Time for Government to take over TfL? Could London Regional Transport ride again?
Have you been living under a rock for five years?
TfL is funded almost entirely from fares income. In 2020, it didn’t have any. All plans, and capital expenditure, had to be cancelled or postponed.
Since this Government has shown it is incapable of running anything, handing them control of our city’s transport system when other metro mayors are “taking back control” (whose phrase was that?) is a particularly dumb idea.
TfL are always encouraging us to walk where possible. It looks like we have no choice now.
Every Journey Matters to our London Mayor
Shouldn’t the wheels be re-tyred on a rotation basis like on the the big train set?