TfL commit £100m towards Sutton Tramlink extension

This week has seen the release of Transport for London’s 2016/17 budget and business plan and against the usual headlines of Crossrail, Underground and Overground developments there is a commitment to provide £100 million towards the planned extension of Tramlink to Sutton. However there is a bit of a catch as the extension is currently expected to cost £240 million and with local Councils pledging to fund the line to the tune of £50 million there is still a large shortfall.

The budget and business plan states that “there remains a shortfall to be addressed by looking at the scheme’s scope, value engineering and increasing the local contribution from development.” In other words either Sutton and Merton Councils increase their contributions (or find other ways to fund the line) or costs savings are found in the project. But at least there is a commitment from TfL towards the line which brings the first real extension of Tramlink closer to happening than previously.

Steve O’Connell, London Assembly Member for Sutton and Croydon, commented: “This is a really important stage of the process because it shows that nobody can back out now. We know that the business plan is not enough, but it is a sign that this plan is being taken seriously in that TfL have committed to it. Of course, a deal has to be struck first. Everyone else involved have really got to up their game.”

The ball now seems to be in the court of Sutton and Merton Councils to try and progress the plan which could eventually see trams arrive in Sutton.

As well as the commitment to part funding this extension the plan makes mention of improvements to the Elmers End branch. 2016/7 will see the completion of design work which will include a second platform (presumably in a similar style to that at Wimbledon) added and the complete branch double tracked.

There is also an intriguing mention of the “acceptance of first new vehicle carbody” in March 2017 but no further details are provided.