London Trams

London Trams runs a light-rail network across South London, linking Croydon with Wimbledon, Beckenham, Elmers End and New Addington. The 28-kilometre track mixes street running with reserved track and former railway alignments, including part of a horse-drawn railway opened in 1803. Managed by Transport for London, it is the fourth-busiest light-rail system in the UK. FirstGroup has operated the service since 2017 after Transport for London bought out the original private concession in 2008. The line grew from 1960s studies and 1980s planning that envisaged converting heavy-rail routes to trams. Key figures included Chris Green, managing director of Network SouthEast, and engineers David Catling and Jon Willis whose report ‘Light Rail for London’ shaped the Croydon-centred plan. Croydon Council and London Regional Transport worked together to secure the Croydon Tramlink Act in 1994. Construction began in 1997 and the first modern low-floor trams entered service in May 2000. Visitors find a quiet, accessible ride through varied scenery. Trams run every fifteen minutes on core sections and share streets in central Croydon before branching off to suburban termini. The fleet of low-floor vehicles provides level boarding at all stops. The route passes shopping streets, parks and former railway corridors, giving glimpses of South London’s changing landscape.