Developing story: this page will be updated as more information becomes available.
Tram services through part of Croydon have been suspended after a road traffic collision, leaving passengers facing disruption on Friday afternoon.
Transport for London says there is currently no service between East Croydon and Sandilands while the collision is dealt with. A good service is running on the rest of the tram network.
The suspension was reported shortly after midday on Friday. Few details have been released about the collision itself: it is not yet known exactly where it happened, whether anyone was hurt, or how long the disruption is expected to last. TfL has advised passengers travelling through the area to check their journeys before setting off and to allow extra time.
The affected stretch covers one of the busiest parts of the London Trams network. East Croydon is a major transport interchange, with the tram stop sitting just outside the railway station, which is served by Southern and Thameslink trains. Sandilands lies to the east of the town centre, on the route towards New Addington.
The timing is awkward. With the afternoon and evening peak still to come, the town centre’s roads and buses could come under extra pressure as displaced tram passengers look for other ways to travel.
East Croydon station itself offers plenty of onward options for those who can get there. It is one of the busiest interchanges in south London, with frequent Southern services to London Bridge and Victoria, Thameslink trains running north-south through the capital, and Gatwick Express trains to the airport.
For anyone who would normally travel between the two tram stops, local buses are likely to be the most straightforward alternative. Routes run frequently through Croydon town centre and connect East Croydon with the surrounding area, while rail services from East Croydon station offer another option for longer journeys. Those making shorter hops could consider a Santander Cycles hire bike — TfL has recently been offering half-price monthly passes for the scheme.
Anyone holding a tram ticket, or who has already touched in with a contactless card or Oyster card, should check TfL’s latest guidance on whether it will be accepted on local buses or rail services while the suspension is in place. Live service updates are published on TfL’s website and through the TfL Go app.
When a section of the tramway is blocked, trams on the rest of the network typically keep running to their normal pattern, turning back at the nearest stop before the affected section. That appears to be what is happening today, with TfL reporting a good service everywhere except between East Croydon and Sandilands.
London Trams — still widely known by its former name, Tramlink — has served Croydon and the surrounding parts of south London since 2000. It remains the capital’s only tram system, linking the town centre with Wimbledon to the west, Beckenham Junction to the east and New Addington to the south.
The Sandilands area will be familiar to many regular passengers. The sharp curve near the stop was the scene of the 2016 derailment in which seven people lost their lives. There is no suggestion of any link between that tragedy and today’s collision, and no injuries have been reported in connection with the current incident.
Crashes elsewhere on the capital’s roads have caused serious disruption this week, including a crash at Kew Bridge in which three people were taken to hospital.
Passengers planning to travel over the coming days may also want to check for planned engineering work affecting the wider network.
For now, the advice to passengers is simple: check before you travel, allow plenty of extra time, and keep an eye on TfL’s status updates for the latest information as the afternoon goes on. This article will be updated as more details emerge.
