Solemn service: an estimated 500 people gathered on Central Parade for this morning’s ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the Croydon tram crash
The civic service in New Addington this morning to mark the 10th anniversary of the Croydon tram disaster was impeccably observed, attended by an estimated 500 people.
Always remembered: the memorial on Central Parade for those killed in the tram crash
As well as some speeches and prayers, there was a two-minute silence.
Civic Mayor Mohammed Islam led proceedings. Natasha Irons, the MP for the area, as well as all four New Addington councillors and several other figures from the Town Hall, were present.
Representatives from the emergency services were also present, including some who attended the devastating scenes not far from the Sandilands tram stop early on the morning of November 9, 2016.
London Fire Commissioner Jonathan Smith was in New Addington this morning. “On the 10th anniversary of this tragic incident, my thoughts, and those of everyone at London Fire Brigade, are with those who lost loved ones, those who survived, and those who continue to feel the impact of this terrible incident.
“I’d also like to pay tribute to those firefighters and emergency service workers who responded on the day. We have not forgotten the dedication and professionalism shown by all those who worked tirelessly at the scene.
“Their work in incredibly challenging conditions is just one example of the dedication shown by emergency service workers on a daily basis.”
It was a little after 6am, an hour before dawn on a wet November morning, when a tram crowded with people on their way to work left the tracks. It was travelling at 43mph on a section of track where the speed limit was 12mph.
Seven people were killed in the tram crash.
Dane Chinnery, Philip Seary, Mark Smith, Dorota Rynkiewicz, Donald Collett, Philip Logan and Robert Huxley.
Their ages ranged from 19 to 63. Five of the seven people who died lived in New Addington.
Still remembered: first-responders from the London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and Metropolitan Police were present
Another 61 passengers on the tram were injured, 19 of them sustaining life-changing injuries, from chronic pain to amputations. Some have never been able to work again.
Both Transport for London and Tam Operations Ltd, a FirstGroup company, pleaded guilty to not taking reasonable care under health and safety laws, and were fined a total of £14million.
Steps have been taken to improve the safety of the tram network, including an automated braking system and speed monitoring.
Tom Edwards, BBC London’s transport correspondent, today called the Croydon tram crash “a forgotten tragedy”.
Edwards wrote: “It was overshadowed on the day by news coverage of the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House…
“And 10 years on, there still remain questions over how a lax safety regime was allowed to develop and how systemic failings contributed to the deaths of seven commuters.”
Read more: November 9 2016: Croydon’s Mayor remembers the tram crash
Read more: Time has come for real answers over the Croydon tram crash
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