EXCLUSIVE

by Neil Millard

Tramlink bosses want to bring in trams from Germany to ease overcrowding on the network.

With Croydon's 24 trams struggling to cope with ever-greater demand the city of Cologne has been approached in the hope it can offer short-term help.

It takes up to three years to order and receive a new tram - at a cost of £2.6 million - so Transport for London (TfL) wants to borrow some in the meantime.

At present Cologne doesn't have any spare but TfL hopes the city could provide some in the future.

Other cities, including Saarbrucken, in Germany, and Istanbul, in Turkey, are also being considered as possible donors.

During the rush hour stations such as Addiscombe, Church Street and East Croydon are beset by overcrowding.

Up to 500,000 passengers use the trams each week, five per cent up on last year, and TfL knows something needs to be done.

Spokesman Guy Pitt said: "We're well aware of the problem and are looking at several schemes to try to alleviate it."

TfL points out that some sections of the network - where there is only a single track - would not benefit from there being extra trams.

So transport chiefs are looking to solve this problem too.

"We're looking at doubling track where possible," Mr Pitt added.

"Having stretches of single track militates against the sheer number of trams.

"The other big problem we have got is Wimbledon because there is just one bit of track there where the trams come in."

TfL believes borrowed trams could satisfy commuter demand prior to getting new ones.

Mr Pitt said: "We're looking at the possibility of leasing trams from cities such as Cologne who run a similar system to ours.

"Unfortunately there are not immediately any trams they have got spare."

TfL took over the network from Tramtrack last June.

Soon afterwards there was controversy when new mayor Boris Johnson reneged on his election pledge to build the £170 million Tramlink extension to Crystal Palace, claiming the money was needed for transport projects elsewhere in London.

Steve O'Connell, Greater London Assembly member for Croydon, does not think there is an overcrowding problem outside rush hour.

But he welcomed the plan to borrow trams, adding: "I think it's evidently sensible.

"We are arriving at a capacity issue around rush hour. That needs to be addressed. I think the answer is increasing the number of trams out there.

"The trams are almost a victim of their own success."

Allan Ramsay, from TfL, meanwhile said that just three extra trams would significantly reduce current capacity problems.

But he added that no new trams had yet been ordered to solve the problem long-term and said that station improvements were also being considered as a way of easing overcrowding.