APPENDIX 18
Memorandum submitted by South London Trams
ABOUT SOUTH
LONDON TRAMS
South London Partnership together with the London
Borough of Lambeth has established a dedicated lobby group—South
London Trams—to promote extensions to the Tramlink network
in south London, drawing on the widespread public and private
sector support for trams and extensions in south London. Tramlink
is a 28 km (18.5 mile) tram system with three routes radiating
from the centre of Croydon to Wimbledon, Beckenham and New Addington.
It is reliable, frequent and fast, offers a high degree of personal
security and is well used and highly regarded.
There are four extensions to Tramlink identified
in the London Plan—Streatham to Purley, Tooting to Sutton,
Crystal Palace and Sutton to Morden.
The South London Partnership was established
in February 2002 and is one of five strategic sub-regional partnerships
in London. It covers seven south London boroughs; nearly a third
of the Greater London area. The partnership promotes the interests
of south London as a sub-region both in its own right and as a
major contributor to London as a world-class city.
INTRODUCTION
South London Trams is delighted that the Olympic
and Paralympic Games will be coming to London in 2012. We were
fully supportive of the bid and believe that beyond being an inspiring
and vibrant event, the Olympics will leave a lasting and positive
legacy for the capital.
South London itself is well used to hosting
major national and international events from Rugby at Twickenham
and Tennis at Wimbledon to the annual University Boat race at
Putney, and the Youth Games at Crystal Palace. Thousands of south
London volunteers (many of them multi-lingual) play a vital role
supporting and stewarding these events and those that take place
across the whole City.
In particular, we believe the Olympics could
act as a catalyst for major improvements in the transport infrastructure.
However, making this a reality will require commitment from Central
Government, Transport for London and private sector funders.
We believe that trams form an important part
of this infrastructure. Athens built a tram network especially
for their Olympic Games—we already have one in south London
and have plans to extend it further. The tram is a London success
story—popular, environmentally friendly and fully accessible,
it already brings people direct from the south-east and south
London to the annual Wimbledon tennis championships. London will
benefit in many ways by investing in expanding Tramlink's network
so it reaches out to east London.
Tramlink speaks from a position of knowledge—we
know that trams work and produce positive and lasting benefits
for the communities that they serve.
In response to the Select Committee's Inquiry,
South London Trams would like to focus on:
(1) The effect the games will have on congestion,
overcrowding and emissions; and
(2) the legacy the Games should leave for
the Capital.
HANDLING THE
INFLUX OF
VISITORS TO
THE CAPITAL
The effect of the Games on congestion, overcrowding
and emissions
With millions of people traveling across the
UK and from overseas to watch the games, public transport that
is integrated throughout the capital is essential for a successful
Games.
South London will act as a gateway for many
people visiting London for the Games. People will be traveling
through south London on the roads, on public transport and via
Gatwick from across the world.
On a average day nearly a million people travel
on the South London Rail Network. These numbers will swell before,
during and after the Games.
However, south London does not have the comprehensive
tube network of north London and is dependent upon buses and overground
rail. The assumed average speed of 34 miles per hour for London
buses has been described by the IOC as "unrealistic",
leaving the option of buses to move people around as less than
ideal.
The four proposed tram extensions which are
being considered by Transport for London will create a modern,
integrated, reliable and effective network, linking proposed and
potential Olympic sites and training facilities within south London,
and creating fast transport links from south London to the east
and central London Olympic locations.
However, it is the proposed Beckenham—Bromley—Lewisham
tram extension (which currently is not being evaluated by Transport
for London) which could provide an ideal transport solution for
our Olympic bid. This extension would create a link from south
London to the Docklands Light Railway and thus on to the proposed
Olympic venues in Stratford and East London. By enabling people
to travel direct from south to east London, rather than via central
London termini, this extension to Tramlink would not only improve
access to the Olympics from south London but would also help reduce
central London congestion.
An extension of the tram network from Beckenham
to Bromley would provide a circular public transport link across
south London, linking Wimbledon to the DLR and therefore east
London.
It would allow people to travel to the east
of London—without having to go through Central London helping
to alleviate congestion on already overcrowded tubes and buses.
Currently, Transport for London is not considering
this extension. South London Trams believe this extension is essential
to provide a comprehensive and integrated systems to handle the
influx of visitors.
Of course, trams are not the only form of public
transport that argue for further investment. However, trams are
the most environmentally friendly—a key factor for a city
attempting to minimise the CO2 emissions associated with hosting
the Games.
Powered by electricity (and in the case of TramLink
15% comes from renewable energy sources), trams use far less fuel
per passenger journey than buses, cars or taxis and do not emit
fumes, thus improving the air quality in urban areas.
In addition, each tram can carry over 200 passengers—equal
to nearly 3 double-decker buses or 2 bendy-buses. Trams have their
own path and take up less road space than buses. Less cars and
fewer buses mean less congestion.
Tramlink has proven too that it eases local
congestion, achieving a 4% reduction in the annual average daily
flow of traffic (NAO report Improving Public Transport in England
through Light Rail).
Investing in trams will equip the Olympic City
with the most environmentally friendly form of public transport
available.
The NAO report found that between 18% and 20%
of Tramlink passengers previously used a car for the same journey.
Not only will trams helps to ease congestion
on our roads and tube system, it will contribute to improving
the quality of the air experienced by millions of visitors to
the Games.
CREATING A
LASTING OLYMPIC
LEGACY BY
INVESTING IN
TRAMS
The Olympics provide the opportunity to inject
further investment into London's Tram Network. In doing so it
will end the historical legacy of south London's inferior transport
links relative to north London and act as a catalyst for further
regeneration.
Trams have the power to deliver jobs and prosperity.
In the case of Tramlink the NAO found that it helped to attract
inward investment to Croydon (£1.5 billion—London Borough
of Croydon) and brought good transport links to relatively socially
deprived areas. The Buchanan Report states: "Tramlink is
a highly successful public transport system. It is reliable, frequent
and fast, offers a high degree of on-board personal security,
is well used and is highly regarded. The vast majority of over
100 organisations, employers, community organisations and individuals
interviewed for this study were, unprompted, very positive in
their comments about Tramlink".
In addition, Tramlink has brought better and
more reliable training and jobs within reach of people living
on isolated housing estates.
Local businesses and the retail industry have
also benefited. Most describe the tram as having a positive effect,
helping to raise their profile and increase customer and business
activity. Weekend patronage of the tram serving certain shopping
areas is far higher than the average. Tramlink has helped to attract
inward investment and regeneration by creating new fast public
transport links and encouraged development on industrial estates
along the route. Employers previously ill-served by public transport,
who are now close to the tram route have benefited . New areas
for recruitment have opened up as staff can be recruited from
further afield. Employers state that they have seen an increase
in the punctuality and productivity of their workforce due to
the tram's reliability.
The modern cosmopolitan nature of the tram has
had a visual effect on town centres. Streets are more pleasant,
less congested and less polluted. This makes them better suited
to leisure, which, in turn, helps new investment. Extensions to
the tram network will give a new impetus and potential investment
to town centres and improved access to sites where development
opportunities exist.
Unemployment has reduced by 35% in the New Addington
ward of Fieldway as a result of Tramlink operating in the area.
The proposed tram extensions will pass through
some of the highest unemployment areas in south London bringing
improved to training and jobs those residents.
TRAMLINK—A
PROVEN TRACK
RECORDING IN
REGENERATION AND
RENEWAL
Tramlink Key Facts
— The route is 28 km in total and 2004-05
figures show 22 million passengers travel per annum.
— Tramlink operates three routes, two
of which run mostly on old rail alignment, with trams running
on-street in the Croydon town centre for 14% of the total system.
Much of the third route travels through open ground. Only 5% of
the total system is shared with general road traffic and 9% is
exclusively for tram only use, or is shared with buses.
— Tramlink was built as a private/public
funded project. The private sector provided £100 million
of the total £225 million costs with TfL's predecessor funding
£100m, plus £25m of costs for the diversion of the utilities.
The capital cost was just £7.8 million per km.
— London Boroughs of Croydon, Merton
and Sutton contributed staff time—including processing all
necessary approvals, costs of an Information Centre and landscaping.
— Tramlink connects directly with seven
mainline stations including East Croydon (for trains to the south
coast) and central London, Wimbledon station for connections to
central London, the south west coast, Hampshire and Surrey, and
access to London Underground through the District Line. Beckenham
Junction connects the system with mainline rail for north Kent.
— Tramlink's system links with 55 bus
routes.
— The service gives easy access to
retail in town centres and to the tennis at Wimbledon. It serves
socially deprived areas and has been instrumental in reducing
unemployment due to links with light industry and retail businesses.
— Considerable regeneration has taken
place throughout the route in commercial, retail and housing sectors.
This is particularly true on the grid-locked A23 Purley Way, which
the tram now reaches from New Addington in a 40 minute journey
time as opposed to two bus changes and 90 minute journey. (Unemployment
has reduced by 35 per cent in the New Addington ward of Fieldway).
— Tramlink has an enviable record of
keeping to its timetable even in the face of snow and ice, which
brings delays and cancellations to other public transport modes.
— Tramlink offers ease of interchange
of pupils through a wide selection of schools on or near the route
and increased prosperity in the area (property prices have risen
by 4 per cent more than in areas not near Tramlink).
— Tramlink is kept clean by a rota
of cleaners who tram-hop collecting rubbish.
— Trams are environmentally friendly
as they run on 750 volts of electricity on overhead wires and
do not cause pollution.
— Trams carry large numbers per vehicle
(200 per tram for Tramlink).
— Trams are thinner than buses and
take up less road space.
9 September 2005
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