New Timetable Promises Extra Trams For Wimbledon

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Revised timings should also reduce overcrowding and waiting times

Extra early morning and evening trams will be running from Wimbledon as Transport for London (TfL) introduces a new timetable from February 25, promising to bring in a more regular service.

TfL says the new timetable is designed so services are more evenly spaced throughout the day, removing long waits between trams followed by several arriving at once, which can lead to overcrowding and difficulties in restoring services following delays. 

After the changes are implemented, it says the average waiting time will fall, benefitting more than three quarters of customers.

There will be extra early morning services on the New Addington branch, extra evening services on the Beckenham Junction and Elmers End branches, and extra services both early morning and in the evening on the Wimbledon branch, providing a more frequent service and extra passenger capacity.

Improvements to the Tram network are included in the Mayor’s draft Transport Strategy, which aims to create a fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous city by improving public transport and reducing reliance on car journeys.

Rory O’Neill, TfL's General Manager of London Trams, said: “We have discussed these changes extensively with our customers and concluded that the new timetable will benefit the vast majority of tram users, ensuring services are more regular and less crowded.

“We appreciate it may take time for customers to adapt, but feel these timetable changes are essential to ensure London Trams continues to support future growth in the area it serves. We have a long-term plan to improve the tram network and adjusting the timetable is just our first step, which we will keep under review to make sure it is delivering the expected benefits for customers.”

Trams will serve Wimbledon regularly every five minutes and run via Arena, alternating every 10 minutes to/from Beckenham Junction and Elmers End. The average waiting time on this branch will reduce by 14 per cent and crowding will be reduced by a third.

Trams serving New Addington will run every 7-8 minutes via the loop in Croydon town centre, providing direct connections to London Overground and bus services from West Croydon.

On the East Croydon-Addiscombe-Arena branch, trams will be evenly spaced at regular intervals and the average waiting time will reduce by 13 per cent. The total number of trams per hour will change slightly (from 22 to 20 at Lebanon Road for example), but because they will be more evenly spaced the average waiting time will be shorter and crowding will be reduced.

February 16, 2018