Cross River Tram
Encyclopedia
Cross River Tram was a Transport for London
proposal for a 10 miles (16.1 km) tram
system in London
, England
, UK
. It was planned to run on a north-south route from Camden Town
in the north, through and , to Peckham
and Brixton
in the south.
The Cross River Tram scheme was proposed to relieve overcrowding on the London Underground
and was due to begin operation by 2016. The project was cancelled in 2008 due to funding problems.
in Southwark
, to support regeneration
.
Trams would have run up to every 4 minutes on each branch, giving a 2 minute service through central London at peak times.
told the London Assembly
that he had asked TfL to consider splitting the implementation by building the southern section in advance of the northern section; it was not, however, clear where such a split would be. In May 2008, Livingstone's successor as mayor, Boris Johnson
, announced that he intended to review the project in light of the lack of central government funding for the planned route.
On 6 November 2008, Transport for London announced that the Cross River Tram would not be built. In a statement, they said: "Given the lack of funding available to implement the project and the likelihood of not securing additional third party funding, TfL is not in a position to develop the scheme any further." Currently (as of July 2010) on the Transport for London website, the project is said to be on hold.
Camden Town - Mornington Crescent - Euston - Tavistock Square - Russell Square - Holborn - Aldwych - South Bank - Waterloo
Waterloo - (either Lambeth North/Imperial War Museum/Kennington Cross or Elephant & Castle) - Oval - (either Stockwell or Brixton Road) - Brixton (either Pope's Road or Brixton St Matthew's Church)
Waterloo - St. George's Circus - Elephant & Castle - Heygate Street - Thurlow Street - (either Burgess Park/Chandler Way or Wells Way/Southampton Way) - Peckham
Euston - (either Crowndale Road or Somers Town) - King's Cross
On 11 September 2007, TfL published the results of their 2007 consultation:
Official consultation documents
Local campaigns
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
proposal for a 10 miles (16.1 km) tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
system in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was planned to run on a north-south route from Camden Town
Camden Town
-Economy:In recent years, entertainment-related businesses and a Holiday Inn have moved into the area. A number of retail and food chain outlets have replaced independent shops driven out by high rents and redevelopment. Restaurants have thrived, with the variety of culinary traditions found in...
in the north, through and , to Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
and Brixton
Brixton
Brixton is a district in the London Borough of Lambeth in south London, England. It is south south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
in the south.
The Cross River Tram scheme was proposed to relieve overcrowding on the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
and was due to begin operation by 2016. The project was cancelled in 2008 due to funding problems.
Overview
The tram was planned to relieve overcrowding on the London Underground, and to improve transport in areas currently without good public transport, such as the Aylesbury EstateAylesbury Estate
The Aylesbury Estate is a large housing estate located in Walworth, South East London.Along with the Ferrier Estate, Aylesbury is considered the most notorious estate in the United Kingdom. It was for this reason that Tony Blair chose to make his first speech as Prime Minister here, in an effort to...
in Southwark
Southwark
Southwark is a district of south London, England, and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Southwark. Situated east of Charing Cross, it forms one of the oldest parts of London and fronts the River Thames to the north...
, to support regeneration
Urban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
.
Trams would have run up to every 4 minutes on each branch, giving a 2 minute service through central London at peak times.
On hold
On 18 July 2007, former London Mayor Ken LivingstoneKen Livingstone
Kenneth Robert "Ken" Livingstone is an English politician who is currently a member of the centrist to centre-left Labour Party...
told the London Assembly
London Assembly
The London Assembly is an elected body, part of the Greater London Authority, that scrutinises the activities of the Mayor of London and has the power, with a two-thirds majority, to amend the mayor's annual budget. The assembly was established in 2000 and is headquartered at City Hall on the south...
that he had asked TfL to consider splitting the implementation by building the southern section in advance of the northern section; it was not, however, clear where such a split would be. In May 2008, Livingstone's successor as mayor, Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is a British journalist and Conservative Party politician, who has been the elected Mayor of London since 2008...
, announced that he intended to review the project in light of the lack of central government funding for the planned route.
On 6 November 2008, Transport for London announced that the Cross River Tram would not be built. In a statement, they said: "Given the lack of funding available to implement the project and the likelihood of not securing additional third party funding, TfL is not in a position to develop the scheme any further." Currently (as of July 2010) on the Transport for London website, the project is said to be on hold.
Proposed route
In late 2006 and early 2007 TfL consulted residents on their views of the following route options:- Camden Town to Waterloo
Camden Town - Mornington Crescent - Euston - Tavistock Square - Russell Square - Holborn - Aldwych - South Bank - Waterloo
- Waterloo to Brixton
Waterloo - (either Lambeth North/Imperial War Museum/Kennington Cross or Elephant & Castle) - Oval - (either Stockwell or Brixton Road) - Brixton (either Pope's Road or Brixton St Matthew's Church)
- Waterloo to Peckham
Waterloo - St. George's Circus - Elephant & Castle - Heygate Street - Thurlow Street - (either Burgess Park/Chandler Way or Wells Way/Southampton Way) - Peckham
- Euston to King's Cross
Euston - (either Crowndale Road or Somers Town) - King's Cross
On 11 September 2007, TfL published the results of their 2007 consultation:
- Euston to King's Cross - the majority of respondents preferred the route via Somers Town, except Somers Town's residents who preferred the Crowndale Road route
- Euston to Camden Town - the majority of respondents preferred the route via Camden High Street
- Waterloo to Oval - the majority of respondents preferred the route via Elephant & Castle
- Oval to Brixton - most respondents preferred the route via Brixton Road
- In Brixton town centre - the majority of respondents preferred the route via Effra Road
- Waterloo to Peckham - the majority of respondents preferred the route via Burgess Park
- In Peckham town centre - the majority of respondents preferred the route via Jocelyn Street and north of Peckham LibraryPeckham LibraryPeckham Library is a library and community building situated in Peckham in south-east London. It was designed by Alsop and Störmer and won the Stirling Prize for Architecture in 2000....
and Cerise Road as the terminus
External links
- Cross River Tram Official TfL page (defunct, archived page)
- Cross River Tram - Cross River Partnership tram page (defunct, archived page)
Official consultation documents
Local campaigns
- Cross River Tram - Peckham Vision (local community group wiki)
- PDF of proposed routes superimposed on map
