Anyone planning to travel anywhere on trams, trains or Overground this weekend are advised to check before they set out
Just a fortnight after Croydon’s tram network got “back to normal” after a two-week closure of the New Addington branch for “essential engineering works”, and passengers face further disruption this weekend.
Among the explanations and excuses given on this occasion is that safety-critical works to the tracks in the Mitcham area have to be carried out “before the hot weather period”.
And there’s even more, long-lasting misery to come for the travelling public of New Addington, with another closure of their tram service planned for the end of March and into April, this one set to take 16 days. From March 28 to April 12, there will be no service between Sandilands and New Addington.
This weekend’s tram closures are as follows:
- There will be no service on Saturday, March 7, from Wimbledon to Therapia Lane.
- There will be no service from East Croydon to Elmers End, Beckenham Junction and New Addington after 10pm on Saturday March 7 and Sunday March 8. A public advisory issued by Transport for London this morning describes this as a full network closure at 10pm.
- There will be no service from Wimbledon to East Croydon on Sunday, March 8. Tram replacement buses will run between Wimbledon and East Croydon.
- There will be no service from Arena to Elmers End on Sunday March 8.
A spokesperson for TfL told Inside Croydon: “We will be doing essential, safety-critical engineering works which need to be done before we enter the hot weather period. The works will take place between Mitcham and Belgrave Walk.
“We will also take the opportunity to upgrade the crosstrack walkways at Mitcham tramstop and Baron’s Walk.
Track works: three-quarters of the tram network will suffer some service disruption this weekend
“At Dundonald Road, we will be using the road crossing to bring on to the track heavy mechanised plant which will travel to Mitcham along the tramway.
“The same road crossing will be used to remove the mechanised plant.
“At Beddington Lane, we will be undertaking resurfacing works after our engineer identified that the road condition had degraded and needed to be renewed.”
According to TfL, letters have gone out to residents and emails sent to councillors and “stakeholder groups” in Croydon, Sutton and Merton.
There is to be travel disruption this weekend on the railways, too.
Thameslink trains will not stop at Farringdon due to planned engineering work on London Underground on Saturday March 7.
And on Sunday March 8, there will be no Thameslink service between St Pancras International and London Bridge due to planned Network Rail work.
Additionally, the Windrush line will be subject to extensive closures this weekend which will impact most journeys.
Good luck if you have anywhere to get to by public transport this weekend.
Read more: What it’s really like trying to get to work from New Addington
Read more: TfL report confirms decade delay over Croydon’s new trams
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