Confusion reigns over the potential extension of London Tramlink to Crystal Palace following the release of a consultation document into a proposed Bakerloo line extension into Beckenham. The document stated that the extensions to Crystal Palace \u201care not actively being progressed at this time\u201d despite previous assurances from the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson that he would back the extension. But the saga doesn\u2019t end there as a short statement from TfL seemed to deny that it was the end of the road for Crystal Palace and Tramlink!<\/p>\n
The controversy reared its head when a consultation document was released which is looking at extending London Underground\u2019s Bakerloo line to Beckenham. It was just a very small part of the document which alerted supporters of extending Tramlink but just one paragraph was enough to cause consternation! It says that Tramlink extensions would only bring limited benefits to the wider south east London area and that as only a small area of Crystal Palace would be connected to Tramlink the \u201cextension is not actively being progressed at this time\u201d.<\/p>\n
Transport for London\u2019s Managing Director for Planning, Michele Dix, responded to this with a short statement of his own: \u201cTramlink extensions are under active consideration, with detailed feasibility and funding work ongoing with the boroughs concerned. The aim is develop deliverable, fundable and value-for-money schemes. This continues to be a priority for the mayor.”<\/p>\n
So a contradiction to the consultation document, or is it? There is no mention specifically of Crystal Palace and there are, of course, other options for extending Tramlink with the boroughs of Merton and Sutton recently pushing for a line off the Wimbledon branch serving Sutton.<\/p>\n
The news that Crystal Palace\u2019s Tramlink extension \u2013 which had previously been \u201cpromised\u201d by Boris Johnson \u2013 may well be off the agenda was not exactly popular with opponents of the Mayor. Steve Reed, MP for Croydon North (Labour), said: \u201cBoris Johnson has shown contempt for the people of Crystal Palace. He promised to support the tram extension during his election campaigns in 2008 and 2012, and repeated that support as recently as March this year. But now we discover he had no intention of doing what he said. People will be bitterly disappointed that the mayor has broken his promises in this cavalier way.”<\/p>\n
It remains to be seen whether the Crystal Palace extension does have any legs after all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Confusion reigns over the potential extension of London Tramlink to Crystal Palace following the release of a consultation document into a proposed Bakerloo line extension into Beckenham. The document stated that the extensions to Crystal Palace \u201care not actively being … Continue reading