Extension will support Croydon town centre redevelopment
"Croydon has very ambitious town centre redevelopment plans, which will need improved transport infrastructure to make sure people can get around the area easily. We want to hear local people's views on these proposals which have been developed closely with both Croydon Council and the Mayor's Office to help support this growth"
Alex Williams
Director of Borough Planning, TfL
  • Part of plans to increase tram capacity by an extra 1,600 passengers an hour
  • Passenger numbers expected to double by 2031

Transport for London (TfL) today launched a public consultation to seek views on a proposed new tram loop near East Croydon station that would support the redevelopment of the old Whitgift Centre site. 

Croydon is undergoing one of the largest town centre regeneration projects in London with the redevelopment being led by the Croydon Partnership. The project is expected to create over 5,000 permanent local job opportunities and deliver between 400 and 600 new homes, with the number of passengers using Tramlink services in the area expected to double by 2031.  Subject to funding, the long term aspiration is to increase the tram capacity in Croydon by 36 per cent, enabling an extra 1,600 passengers to travel an hour in each direction.

London Tramlink currently operates in a one way loop along George Street, Church Street, Tamworth Road and Wellesley Road.  TfL is considering three possible loop extension options that could be constructed in the New Town part of Croydon.  Building a new loop would help TfL to continue to maintain a reliable service and provide more capacity on the London Tramlink network.  It would also allow more Tramlink services to operate between Croydon and the eastern branches of the service in the future.

The consultation is seeking the views of local residents and stakeholders of both the Dingwall Road loop extension in principle, as well as which of the three route options is preferred.   

Alex Williams, TfL's Director of Borough Planning, said: "Croydon has very ambitious town centre redevelopment plans, which will need improved transport infrastructure to make sure people can get around the area easily. We want to hear local people's views on these proposals which have been developed closely with both Croydon Council and the Mayor's Office to help support this growth." 

The public consultation will run from 3 November until 14 December 2014. Further information about the consultation and the questionnaire can be found at www.tfl.gov.uk/dingwall-road-loop.  

The design for all options will incorporate dedicated facilities for cyclists.  Changes to local bus services that are necessary during the construction of the extension, or required to allow the tram service to operate, would be subject to a further public consultation.

Notes to Editors: