Latest Rail News

10.05.16

Campaigners urge Sadiq Khan to develop London tram network

London’s tram network should be developed along its existing bus routes, campaigners have said as they called on the newly-elected mayor of London to make developing the capital’s tram network a priority.

TramForward, the campaigning arm of the Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA), said that improving the capital’s network would reduce air pollution, caused by tail-pipe emissions and the harmful particulates arising from the interaction between rubber-tyred vehicles and road surfaces, better than hybrid buses.

It congratulated Sadiq Khan on his election as London’s new mayor and urged him to look again at plans for the ‘Cross River Tram’, introduced in 2000, for King’s Cross and the London to Euston corridor.

Andrew Braddock, chair of the LRTA, said: 2With the city's continuing growth in population, it is essential that the busiest bus routes are upgraded so that greater capacity can be offered at an economic cost.

“As dozens of other cities around the world have found, light rail systems bring significant benefits in terms of reduced car dependence, economic regeneration, job creation and environmental improvement.”

LRTA added that extensions to London’s Tramlink would reduce congestion around areas such as Oxford Street and could be built for less than a tenth of the cost of the two Crossrail schemes.

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(Image c. Transport for London)

Comments

Gabriel Oaks   10/05/2016 at 12:58

"Will passengers arriving at London Euston on HS2 please change onto a number 4 tram to St Pancras International for onward High Speed Rail Services to Europe" (Mind you still better than current ad-hoc arrangements).

Andrew Gwilt   10/05/2016 at 13:50

As he's the new Mayor of London he is willing to introduce better transport including new deep level tube trains for the Bakerloo, Piccadilly, Central and Waterloo & City lines, London Tramlink to be extended to North London, the DLR extension to Dagenham Dock, Bakerloo Line extension to Lewisham & Hayes, Northern Line extension to Battersea, Metropolitan Line extension to Watford Junction, London Overground extension to Barking Riverside, Crossrail 2, Lower Thames Crossing linking from M25 to M2, extending the London super-highway cycle route from East London (Ilford & Stratford) to West London (Hammersmith & Ealing) and a new super-highway cycle route from North London (Brent & Camden) to South London (Croydon & Tooting). Plus a new 3rd runway to be built at Heathrow Airport with the new runway to be built over the M25 motorway along with a new transit from Staines and a new spur to link from GWML at West Drayton to Heathrow Airport T5 station and also possibly more new buses to be introduce for London. Even though most people do not like him because of his religion but he seems to give London a new lease of life.

David   10/05/2016 at 14:37

It's very short-sighted to say that "most people do not like him", and borderline rude. Most of the proposals you mentioned are not affected by the mayoral handover, however.

Jimbo   10/05/2016 at 19:07

Andrew Gwilt - many of those schemes are already underway, so nothing to do with the new mayor, and the rest are not yet funded. The question is how many of those schemes will be cut back or deferred to pay for the freeze on fares ?

Andrew Gwilt   10/05/2016 at 23:17

I suppose that you are right David.

Andrew Gwilt   10/05/2016 at 23:19

@Jimbo. Right so there is still a long way to go with the extensions of the DLR, Tramlink, London Underground, London Overground and Crossrail 2.

Philb   12/05/2016 at 09:29

The track is still in place in the Kingsway subway so they might be able to save a few quid by using it to route trams to Kings Cross!

David   12/05/2016 at 19:23

Philb, are you sure? It's been taken over in use by the Crossrail team during construction, and no doubt is unsuitable by modern standards.

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