Tramlink

This article is about a tramway which opened in 2000. For trams operating 1900–1933, see Croydon Corporation Tramways. For the tram model by Stadler, see Stadler Tramlink.

Tramlink
Variobahn (left) and CR4000 (right) trams at Sandilands tram stop
System diagram
Overview
Owner	Transport for London
Area served	London Boroughs of Croydon Merton Sutton Bromley
Locale	South London
Transit type	Light rail using trams
Number of stations	39
Annual ridership	17.2 million (2024–25) 14%
Website	www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/trams/
Operation
Began operation	10 May 2000 (2000-05-10)
Operator	Tram Operations Ltd (FirstGroup)
Number of vehicles	23 Bombardier CR4000 12 Stadler Variobahn
Technical
System length	28 km (17 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line, 750 V DC
Top speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
System map Wimbledon Dundonald Road Merton Park Morden Road River Wandle Phipps Bridge Belgrave Walk Mitcham Mitcham Junction Beddington Lane Therapia Lane depot Therapia Lane Ampere Way Waddon Marsh River Wandle Wandle Park Reeves Corner Centrale Church Street West Croydon George Street Wellesley Road East Croydon Lebanon Road Sandilands Sandilands Tunnel Lloyd Park Coombe Lane Gravel Hill Addington Village Fieldway King Henry's Drive New Addington Addiscombe Blackhorse Lane Woodside Arena Elmers End Harrington Road Birkbeck Avenue Road Beckenham Road River Beck Beckenham Junction

Tramlink, previously Croydon Tramlink and currently branded as London Trams, is a light rail tram system serving Croydon and surrounding areas in South London, England. It is the first operational tram system serving the London region since 1952. Tramlink is managed by London Trams, a public body part of Transport for London (TfL), and has been operated by FirstGroup since 2017. It is one of two light rail networks in Greater London, the other being the Docklands Light Railway. Tramlink is the fourth-busiest light rail network in the UK behind the Docklands Light Railway, Manchester Metrolink and Tyne and Wear Metro.

Studies for the delivery of a modern-day tram system in Croydon began in the 1960s and detailed planning was performed in the 1980s. Approval of the scheme was received in 1990 and, following a competitive tender process, construction and initial operation of the tramway was undertaken by Tramtrack Croydon (TC) via a 99-year private finance initiative (PFI) contract. The official opening of Tramlink took place on 10 May 2000; by the end of the year three routes were operational. The network consists of 39 stops along 28 km (17 mi) of track, on a mixture of street track shared with other traffic, dedicated track in public roads, and off-street track consisting of new rights-of-way, former railway lines, and one right-of-way where the Tramlink track runs parallel to a third rail-electrified Network Rail line. The network's lines coincide in central Croydon, with eastern termini at Beckenham Junction, Elmers End and New Addington, and a western terminus at Wimbledon, where there is an interchange for London Underground.

Since its original opening, the tram network has been expanded and additional rolling stock has been purchased. During 2008, TfL took over Tramlink operations, ending the PFI and making the company a subsidiary of TfL. Additional rolling stock was introduced during the early 2010s. Furthermore, numerous extensions to the network have been discussed, the most recent of which is the Sutton Link, an extension to connect Sutton to Colliers Wood. Sutton Link was paused in 2020 until funding can be secured. In the 2020s, TfL began work to order new trams for the system.