Plans for new Croydon trams as TfL wants air conditioning and charging points

Transport for London (TfL) has said it has invited suppliers for its new tram fleet. Officials also described how the new stock would drive, as well as promising better service after recent breakdowns.

Documents for the authority’s board meeting next week read: “The London Tram network provides a vital orbital link between the city centers of South London; however, our current tram fleet is up to 24 years old and reaching the end of its useful life. Therefore, they are trying to replace it with new trams to provide customers with a more reliable service and improve the customer experience.

“This would include features such as air conditioning and charging points, along with the latest safety features, further building on the improvements already made to the network. A future award of a contract for new trams will be subject to the availability of funding. We have made progress by issuing a notice inviting potential suppliers to demonstrate how their experience and expertise would be suitable to deliver the new trams.”

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The mayor is committed to building new trams in the next four years

In May, Sadiq Khan pledged to deliver new trams by the end of his current mayoral term in 2029. But TfL says it needs more money from the government to deliver the new stock.

Demand for trams continues to fall compared to pre-pandemic levels as south Londoners go about their post-Covid routines. The documents state: “Tram demand in London in 2023/24 was five per cent lower than in 2022/23 and was around 70% of pre-pandemic levels.”

It comes after further action on the tram network was put on hold after TfL tackled union members’ pay issues. The authority’s commissioner, Andy Lord, said: “I am delighted that working closely with colleagues from Unite the Union, TfL has reached agreement on a range of measures to address pay issues for London Trams workers.”

Prior to this settlement, workers walked out in the spring, causing network outages. On July 2, the latest dispute was resolved after a day of industrial action as the Wimbledon tennis championships began earlier this month.

In May, engineers worked to repair trams “as quickly as possible” after track debris damaged the wheels of several services. Passengers experienced delays on parts of the network, while a section was also closed.

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