New London Tramlink Sunday service proving popular

London Tramlink customers are taking advantage of the more frequent Sunday service between Wimbledon and New Addington via Croydon town centre in increasing numbers.

One month after the extra services were introduced the number of passengers using the line on Sundays has already risen by almost 10%  from an average of 39,834 to 44,330.

The new services were introduced on 14 December 2014, with trams running every seven to eight minutes on this route (Line 3) compared to the previous frequency of every 15 minutes.

In addition to a more frequent Sunday service a new 700m section of double track has recently been completed between Mitcham Junction and Beddington Lane as part of the Wimbledon line improvement programme. The new track will allow trams to pass more easily through this section and therefore reduce delays for customers.

Work to add a new bay to platform 10 at Wimbledon station will commence later this year and when complete it will enable the introduction of an additional four new trams onto the network, which will bring customers a 50% service increase to the Wimbledon branch by 2016, making journeys less crowded.

Transport for London's (TfL) Director of London Tramlink, Sharon Thompson, said: 'We're pleased to see that our passengers have been quick to take advantage of the more frequent Sunday service we now offer on what is becoming an important leisure and shopping day. Our trams are running every seven to eight minutes along the Wimbledon to New Addington route between 10am and 6pm, making weekend travel much easier and more convenient.'

London Tramlink is part of a large and growing TfL network of rail services, which also includes London Overground routes across the capital. From May 2015, West Anglia services from Liverpool Street station to Enfield Town, Cheshunt (via Seven Sisters) and Chingford and between Romford and Upminster will become part of TfL's integrated transport network. At the same time TfL will also takeover rail services from Liverpool Street to Shenfield as a precursor to the introduction of TfL-run Crossrail.

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Notes to Editors

• Between 7 December 2014 and 3 January 2015, an average of 44,330 passengers travelled on this route (Line 3) on a Sunday compared to 39,834 for a Sunday during the same period in 2013/2014.
• Before 10am and after 6pm on a Sunday trams will continue to run every 15 minutes.