Council and democracy

Croydon welcomes Tramlink prospects un Mayor Boris

As mayoral candidate prior to the recent London election, Boris Johnson went on record about his aspirations for expanding tram services and introducing new routes that reach out to other parts of London.

Now installed in City Hall, and with Croydon Council's former deputy leader Steve O'Connell as a close ally, the Mayor will have an early opportunity to implement his vision now that TfL has formally taken possession of the trams from Tramtrack Croydon Ltd.

In the short term, the council, which launched the idea of bringing trams back to south London, expects tram users to benefit from immediate operational improvements on the existing routes. Further down the line the council expects Mayor Johnson to invest in the trams' future and build on their undoubted popularity.

Said council leader Councillor Mike Fisher: "Croydon Tramlink has changed the way millions of people move around in south London. It's a huge success story and something of which the council can be justifiably proud.

"We are very pleased that Boris Johnson has confirmed the takeover and has undertaken to improve tram services. In the immediate future we want him to press TfL for urgent action to make journeys more comfortable for the increasing number of passengers who are using trams. Some peak time overcrowding on routes out to Wimbledon and New Addington needs to be addressed urgently and there are a lot of areas where some care and attention need to be applied.

"The takeover marks a new chapter in the development of Tramlink. We will be calling for Boris Johnson to make an early visit to Croydon to experience the service for himself. This, we are sure, will not only confirm that he is right to be thinking of extending routes but also that we need some short-term effort to improve the service Tramlink is currently providing passengers. It's a great opportunity to take a great product and make it even better."

Under the terms of the £98 million deal, TfL will continue to honour all of Tramtrack Croydon Ltd's existing contracts and the status of all proposed extensions to the tram network remains the same. It is understood there will be no change to current fares and ticketing arrangements.