Our Ref:         FOI-0224-1718

Thank you for your request received on 2 May 2017 asking for information about tram mileage and journeys which have been cut short..
 
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and TfL’s information access policy. I can confirm we hold the information you require. I apologise for the delay in our reply.
 
Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by the tragic derailment which occurred on 9 November, and we will continue to work to ensure that we offer those affected any support they need.
 
Following the derailment we carried out a thorough safety assessment and took the advice of an independent panel of tram experts as part of a rigorous safety assurance process before resuming services.
 
This included introducing additional speed restrictions and associated signage near Sandilands and three other locations on the tram network as a precautionary measure.
 
We will continue to assist the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, British Transport Police and the Office of Rail and Road and with their ongoing investigations into this tragic incident.
 
Further information is available on our website: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/trams/croydon-tram-derailment.
 
This page will be updated regularly.
 
You asked specifically for:
 
•         The mileage travelled per week as a whole on the tram network over the last three years (between May 2014 to May 2017). Can I have it broken down by week (every seven days)?
•         How many trams per day have had their journey/route cut short over the last 12 months (May 2016 – May 2017) and what was the reason why?
 
Unfortunately we do not hold this information in a form which can be provided within the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.
 
Under section 12 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, locating and retrieving it and extracting it from other information would exceed the appropriate limit. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described.
 
We have estimated that it would cost £750 to provide a response to your current request. This is because it is estimated that it would take 30 working hours to retrieve and compile the information you have requested.
 
Our records for curtailments are held in summaries of  ‘lost kilometres’ provided to us by Tram Operations Limited (TOL), a subsidiary of First Group. These do not provide the data requested so would need to be manually cross-referenced with TOL’s curtailment sheets, which are not held electronically.
 
We are, however, able to provide the attached information on the percentage of kilometres operated (which is also published online at (https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/trams-performance-data ) and an overview of the reasons for lost kilometres per period, in the nine categories we record information under:
 
• Mechanical/Non-available tram
• Tram-Operational Incident
• Road Traffic Collision
• Passengers action
• Road Congestion
• Infrastructure failure
• Driver Error – for example the driver turning up late for duty or after their relief or dropping the pantograph (turning the power off)
• Weather
• Other
 
The scheduled kilometres are as follows:
 
Monday to Friday:    10,052
Saturday:                   9,096
Sunday:                     6,395
 
Please note that the non-operation of some of the network in P9 as a result of the derailment was not recorded as a loss of scheduled kilometres.

To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit, you may wish to consider narrowing its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. If you want to refine your request or make a Freedom of Information Act request in future, please bear in mind that the Freedom of Information Act allows you to request recorded information held by Transport for London. You should identify the information that you want as clearly and concisely as you can, specifying the types of document that you are looking for. You might also consider limiting your request to a particular period of time, geographical area or specific departments of TfL.
 
Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, TfL does not have to answer your question if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of your request.
 
Please note that we will not be taking further action until we receive your revised request.
 
In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to discuss your request, please feel free to contact me.
 
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Gemma Jacob
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London