CROYDON SHOWS OFF NEW STADLER TRAMS
Published at 02:22 on Thursday 16th February 2012
Tags: Croydon, Light Rail, Trams, London Tramlink, TfL, Stadler
The first of the new Stadler-built trams for London Tramlink is pictured at Therapia Lane Depot on 15th February. Bill Turvill
The first of six new trams for Croydon were on display to invited guests and the media at the Tramlink Therapia Lane Depot on 15th February.
A £16.3 million investment has been made in the new trams, which are built by Stadler in Germany, and provide additional capacity on the growing system. The arrival of the new vehicles will allow London Tramlink to introduce a new direct service from Therapia Lane to Elmers End from June this year, although the new trams will not be dedicated to the service. The introduction of the additional route, will provide the Elmers End line with 10 trams an hour at peak times.
Each of the new trams consists of five sections, each being 100% low-floor and air-conditioned, providing a seating capacity of 84 seats, with room for an additional 122 standing passengers.
The first of the trams is expected to enter service before the end of the month, with the remaining five vehicles following at approximately monthly intervals.
Passenger numbers on the system have risen 45% since Tramlink opened in 2000, and the trams now carry more than 28 million passengers a year. With the number of passenger journey's rising, the system is being upgraded in several area's, with a new platform being provided at Wimbleton, and the section of line between Mitcham and Mitcham Junction being double-tracked.
