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Agenda item

Trams

Ø  Current works in progress (Including A232 Addiscombe Road) – Michelle Wildish (TfL) & Mark Davis (London Trams)

 

Ø  Phipps Bridge London Trams derailment (appeal for information) – Michelle Wildish (TfL) & Mark Davis (London Trams)

Minutes:

a)         Current works in progress

 

The London Trams representative updated the Panel on the major renewal work that was in progress between 23 August 2019 and 2 September 2019. This affected 2/3 of the London Trams network including Chepstow Road and its significance was marked as the largest project to date of planned maintenance and upgrading works in Croydon. Delivery had been delayed resulting in the works being extended for a week beyond the planned date. This was due to the need for emergency utility works caused by gas and water leaks in the area which were discovered in the week leading up to the work. Residents and stakeholders were kept informed during the process and were provided with regular live updates.

 

In response to the Chair asking to what extent of the work was a part of the planned maintenance programme and whether it was necessary to be completed within that time period, the London Trams representative stated that the Chepstow Road and the bridge work had been planned and because the surrounding junctions were closed that it made sense to schedule additional work to avoid other future closures.

 

 

b)         Phipps Bridge London Trams derailment

 

The London Trams representative appealed to the Panel for further information to support the formal investigation taking place. The incident occurred at approximately 3.50pm on 29 August, the affected tram boarded approximately 100 passengers and there were no persons injured. During the tram recovery response, London Trams and emergency services staff were attacked via stone throwing by unknown residents and the British Transport Police were leading an investigation to find the persecutors. No links had yet been found despite holding footage and receiving enquiries, however London Trams had written to members and colleague operators in Merton for support. There was a £10,000 reward offered to a person that provided information that enabled the identification of the offender that would lead to prosecution. Consequentially from the incident, London Trams were examining fencing improvement solutions which were inherently challenging due to the nature of the system.

 

The Chair thanked the London Trams representative for the update and stated that the Panel supported the apprehension of the offender and that they would raise the appeal internally. The Chair agreed that many areas were at risk of such intrusion and that fencing solutions would prove difficult.

 

In response to the East Surrey Transport Committee representative suggesting that installing permanent CCTV akin to the TfL red routes which provided high coverage should be considered, the London Trams representative said that they were exploring surveillance and fencing options. The Police have said that there was currently not sufficient CCTV coverage for the targeted area, however they could see that the persecutors were not hiding next to the track in this incident.

 

In response to the Chair asking for an update on the matter in a future meeting, the London Trams representative agreed and stated that they would update the Panel if anything were to surface in the interim. A risk assessment was scheduled for the next 6-8 weeks to be completed by 2020.