South London Trams

Transport for EveryoneThe case for extensions to Tramlink

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South London Trams

Given the importance of goodintegrated transport and theproven success of Tramlink in the region, South LondonPartnership together with theLondon Borough of Lambeth hasestablished a dedicated lobbygroup – South London Trams –to promote extensions to theTramlink network in southLondon, drawing on thewidespread public and privatesector support for trams andextensions in south London.

Tramlink is a highly successfulpublic transport system. It isreliable, frequent and fast, offers ahigh degree of personal security,is well used and highly regarded.

This document sets out the casefor extensions to the tramnetwork in south London.

Introduction

South London Partnershipis the strategicpartnership for southLondon. It promotes the interests of southLondon as a sub-regionin its own right and as amajor contributor to thedevelopment of Londonas a world class city.

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South London Trams

The introduction of Tramlink hasbeen hugely beneficial for its localsouth London community. It servesthe whole of the community, withtrams – unlike buses and trains –being used by all socio-economicgroups – from daily businesscommuters to elderly pensionersand weekend shoppers.

Those who experience difficultywith other modes of transport –such as mums with pushchairs orthe mobility impaired; as well asthose residents who previouslydid not have access to frequentand reliable public transport –find Tramlink a safe, easy andconvenient mode of transport.Journeys are secure– with on-tram CCTV and every driver and every tram stop constantlymonitored by the control centre,even late at night.

The tram has also enabledpreviously isolated local residentsto travel to jobs, training, leisureand cultural activities – givingthem a greater feeling of beingpart of London.

Tramlink is a fully integratedsystem with over 50 local busconnections. With these local busconnections, interchanges with 7 mainline rail stations and thetube at Wimbledon, the tramworks in harmony with otherpublic transport services to providea fully co-ordinated, seamlessjourney for the passenger.

The NAO evaluation of nationaltram services (April 2004),reports that:

“We found that integration with bus services was poor tomoderate on four of the fivesystems when they first opened – the exception being theCroydon Tramlink”.

Integration is key to Tramlink’ssuccess. Extending Tramlinkprovides an opportunity for thewider south London communityto enjoy these benefits.

Tramlink carries almost 20million passengers a year and the numbers are still growing.The extended network willprovide new links to theproposed East London Lineextension, the tube, hospitals,town centres and employmentparks in south London.

Transport for Everyone

“Light rail deliversfast, frequent andreliable services andprovides a comfortableand safe journey.”

National Audit Office reportImproving Public Transport in EnglandThrough Light Rail (April 2004).

No need for a ramp operated by the driver

Reliability

Tram 99%

Bus 97%

Tube 93%

Average speed

Tram 25kph

Bus 10-14 kph

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South London Trams

Good for the Environment

Trams areenvironmentally friendly.By providing fast reliableand attractive publictransport, theyencourage people toleave their cars at home.

Tram passing through Lloyd ParkThe River Wandle in Morden Hall Park

Running right into the heart oftown centres, Tramlink is a viable,realistic form of transport forthose wanting an alternative tothe car. Almost 20% of passengershave switched from their cars tothe tram.

Powered by electricity (with 15% currently purchased fromrenewable energy sources), tramsuse far less fuel per passengerjourney than buses, cars or taxisand do not emit fumes, thusimproving the air quality in urban areas.

In addition, each tram can carryover 200 passengers – equal tonearly 3 double-decker buses or 2 bendy-buses. Trams take up less road space than buses.Less cars and fewer buses meanless congestion.

Tramlink has eased localcongestion, achieving a 4%reduction in the annual averagedaily flow of traffic.(NAO report Improving Public Transportin England through light rail)

Tramlink has not only helped toreduce pollution and congestion,it has also helped to create new green spaces, enabled theplanting of more trees and madeparks and rivers more accessible.

■ Replacement tree plantingsignificantly increased thenumber of trees growing in the area

■ The Phipps Bridge tramstopprovides a new publictransport gateway to MordenHall Park, river and wildlifeareas – making this accessibleto more people

■ Improvements to open spaceincluding the South NorwoodCounty Park and Wandle Park,and the creation of 11 acresof new public space inpreviously neglected andovergrown areas.

Extensions to Tramlink will give even more people access to south London parks and open spaces – including Crystal Palace Park and itssports facilities – and theproposed 500 hectare Wandle Valley Country Park.

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South London Trams

Good for Regeneration

Unemployment has beenreduced. Between 2000-2002 unemployment inareas served by the tramfell by 9.3% more thanareas not served, withone area, Fieldway,seeing unemploymentfall by over 35%.

Ikea shoppersBeddington Cross

In addition, better and morereliable training and jobs have beenbrought within reach of peopleliving on isolated housing estates.

Local businesses and the retailindustry have benefited. Mostdescribe the tram as having apositive effect, helping to raisetheir profile and increasecustomer and business activity.Weekend patronage of the tramserving certain shopping areas is far higher than the average.Tramlink has helped to attractinward investment by creatingnew fast public transport linksand encouraged development onindustrial estates along the route.

Employers have benefited as aresult of the tram’s long operatingday. New areas for recruitmenthave opened up as staff can berecruited from further afield.Employers state that they haveseen an increase in the punctualityand productivity of their workforcedue to the tram’s reliability.

“[The Tram] hasopened up areas [for recruitment] like New Addington andMitcham because the early tram meets our requirements”Large shift-based employer in Croydon – ‘Economic andregeneration impact of CroydonTramlink’, Colin Buchanan andPartners, 2003.

The modern cosmopolitan imageof the tram has had a significanteffect on the visual appeal oftown centres. Streets are morepleasant, less congested and lesspolluted, making them betterplaces for leisure and relaxation,which in turn helps to attractnew investment.

Extensions to the network will give a new developmentimpetus and potentialinvestment to a further sixtown centres and will offerimproved access to 160 sites where developmentopportunities exist. Theextensions pass through someof the highest unemploymentareas in south London –bringing improved access to training and jobs for those residents.

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South London Trams

Good for Health and Local Prosperity

By helping to reduce airpollution, contributing toreduced unemploymentand improving access toparks, Tramlink has apositive impact on southLondoners’ health.

Purley HospitalSutton Junior Tennis Club indoor court

Pupils attending schools along theroute of Tramlink use the tram totravel to and from school, withmany schools and colleges usingthis as a key marketing tool.

Economically, the tram has apositive impact on residentialproperty. Areas served by Tramlinksaw a rise in property prices and,since Tramlink opened, propertyprices in Croydon have risen by4% more than in areas not served by the tram.

The extensions to Tramlinkcould provide fast and reliabletransport to major hospitals insouth London that are currentlyonly accessible by bus or car.This would significantly improveaccess to health services forpeople living in some of southLondon’s poorest areas and to those, predominantly older,people who do not have accessto a car.

The extensions will alsoimprove public transport accessto local sports facilities such as Crystal Palace, the SuttonArena and the Sutton JuniorTennis Centre.

Extensions could aid access to a proposed development inStreatham, including a leisurecentre and ice rink, placing itwithin easy reach of half amillion south London residents.

The London SustainableDevelopment Commission has set challenging indicatorsfor a sustainable London.An extended tram network in south London will make a significant contribution to:

■ Increased labour forceparticipation by improvingaccess to jobs

■ Reduced road traffic volumesby reducing the need for carbased travel and replacingsome buses

■ Reduced CO2 emissions andimproved air quality by usingelectricity rather than petrolor diesel

■ More pupils and studentsusing public transport to travel to school or college

The tram has brought a newsense of civic pride andbelonging to many parts ofsouth London – people areproud of their tram and enjoyusing it. Extensions willcontribute to a sustainablesouth London.

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South London Trams

The Financial Case

Tramlink was built as aprivate/public fundedproject with the privatesector providing £100million of the total £225 million costs,a capital cost of just £7.8 million per km.

It is currently carryingalmost 20 millionpassengers a year withnumbers still rising.

Major infrastructure projectsrequire a large amount of capitalexpenditure up front – this is thecase for roads and trains as wellas trams. Tramlink runs a cashsurplus before interest paymentsand, in common with other major transport projects fundedpartially by the private sector,interest payments impose asignificant financial overhead inthe early days of such projects.

Although the initial investmentcost is high – over a thirty yeartimeframe – taking the initialinvestment and annual operatingcosts together, the cost of a tramis cheaper than conventionalbuses or bendy-buses.

Tramlink was established partlyon redundant heavy rail lines andpartly on-street running – makingit a cost effective combination of old and new development.Former rail stations have beenrebuilt to meet modern standards.

Developing light rail utilising oldheavy rail routes and adding to an existing system is more costeffective than developing light railfrom scratch, and means minimaldisruption to traffic and roads.

South London Partners havedirect experience with theimplementation of a tramscheme. There is existinginfrastructure, a depot, skilledstaff and on-the-groundexpertise. According to theTransport for London BusinessPlan, the estimated cost ofbuilding the four extensions is £530m. The high visibility of Tramlink and its welldocumented economic andregeneration benefits makethe case for the constructionof extensions to the currentsystem unarguable.

Conventional bus £46m

Bendy-bus £32m

Tram £20m

Annualised cost comparisonover a 30 year period

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South London Trams

South London Partnershipbelieves that extending thetram will have a positive impacton south London and willbenefit London as a whole.

The tram extensions will link withthe proposed southern extensionsto the East London Line at WestCroydon and Crystal Palace –providing a fast orbital connectionfrom south London to north-eastLondon – and provide furtherintegration with the LondonUnderground network and theoverground system. A potentialfirst stage of an orbital fast tramnetwork around London.

The London Plan predictssignificant growth in populationand jobs in south London. Thetram extensions lie in areas, manyseverely deprived, with highpublic transport demand and high density of commercial and residential use. The tram is ideally placed to support furthereconomic growth, higher densitydevelopments including homes atkey centres along the routes andmake it easier for employers toattract the staff they need.

Tramlink has been a success on almost all counts and aloneamong national tram schemes,it received very favourablecomment in the recent NationalAudit Office report ‘ImprovingPublic Transport in EnglandThrough Light Rail’.

It has been a London achievement.Building the extensions will show once again that Londoncan deliver.

Good for London

Tramlink is proven to bea valuable and effectivetransport solution. It hashad a positive impact onboth the residents andbusinesses it serves.

Laying the tracks

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RIVER THAMES

DLR

Wimbledon

Richmond

KingstonUpon

ThamesThames

WestCroydon

EastCroydonSutton

SURREY

Tolwolwororth

MorMordondon

MitcMitchamham

NorburyNorbury

Tooting

BeckenhamJunction Bromley

OrOrpingtonpington

GrGreenwiceenwich

BrBrixtonixton

Westminsterestminster

ChelseaChelsea

PutnePutney

Streathameatham

PurlePurley

Coulsdonoulsdon

GAGATWICKTWICKM25

Park & Ride

HounsloHounslow

HEAHEATHRTHROWClapham Junction

KENT

New AddingtonNew AddingtonNew Addington

CrystalPalace

ElmerElmers Ends End

Wimbledon

Richmond

KingstonUpon

Thames

WestCroydon

EastCroydonSutton

SURREY

Tolworth

Morden

Mitcham

Norbury

Tooting

BeckenhamJunction Bromley

Orpington

Greenwich

Brixton

Westminster

Chelsea

Putney

Streatham

Purley

Coulsdon

GATWICK

Hounslow

HEATHROWClapham Junction

KENT

New Addington

CrystalPalace

DLR

Elmers End

M25Park & Ride

DLR

Wimbledon

Richmond

KingstonUpon

Thames

WestCroydon

EastCroydonSutton

SURREY

Tolworth

Mordon

Mitcham

Norbury

Tooting

BeckenhamJunction Bromley

Orpington

Greenwich

Brixton

Westminster

Chelsea

Putney

Streatham

Purley

Coulsdon

GATWICKM25

Park & Ride

Hounslow

HEATHROWClapham Junction

KENT

New Addington

CrystalPalace

Elmers End

Tramlink (Existing)

Tramlink Extensions under consideration

Aspirations for further extensions

Cross River Tram Scheme

South London Partnership Area

Town or district centre

Motorway

Major road

Underground station

East London Line extensions

South London Trams

Membership of South London Partnership London Boroughs of Bromley, Croydon, Kingston, Merton, Richmond,Sutton and Wandsworth; Business Link for London; London South Learning& Skills Council; South London Council of Chambers of Commerce; SouthLondon Business; Kingston University; SELTRANS (the SE London transportpartnership); SWELTRAC (the SW London transport partnership); and theSW London Health Authority.

South London Trams is also supported by the London Borough of Lambeth.

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