West Croydon London Tramlink Stop

I don’t seem to use this as much as I used to. All the hideous upheaval to build the thing seemed completely worth it from the first moment you used it. Even my parents, die-​hard sceptics, were converted when they could get to Croydon in less than 15 minutes without issue. They even started to go to Croydon over Bromley for a while because getting the tram to Croydon was cheaper and easier than driving to Bromley. As a service, it is excellent. It doesn’t have the capacity on the Beckenham Junction section, which sometimes feels like a single track road with passing points, but it’s quick and connects Central Croydon with Wimbledon station in a way which was never possible before 10 years ago.
My main problem with the tram is what it has done to Croydon. Regular services to New Addington means Croydon is now worse than ever during the daytimes and, as I said, the Beckenham Junction branch is quite poor.

It’s a Noddy train! Toot toot! It will take me all the way to Ikea, and all the way to Wimbledon. It’s fab.
I have lived in London 7 years and have not been on a tram… until today! This is great for a little journey around South London, it’s not quite a train, it’s a tram! With comfy seats and loads of room, you can even use your Oyster.
Every few minutes you’ll see the little tram chug by. It’s awesome, have I told you how much I love South London yet? Because I do.

Tramlink is possibly one of the best things about living in south London. In 2000, they converted some of the existing but derelict railway lines to take trams and today, there are 3 lines running from Wimbledon in the west over to Beckenham, Elmers End and New Addington in the east. All lines pass through the hub of Croydon.
I use the service to from my Mitcham stop to Wimbledon and Croydon, which is the fastest public transport service for me to these areas. The trams are generally frequent with the odd hiccup and not too busy though I have to point out that I don’t use this at peak times.
The stations are well lit and well maintained. I use my Oyster card and so can’t comment on the ticket machines. If you use Oyster to pay, do remember to touch in at the stations as there are no barriers. There are nice indicator boards at stations telling you the time and destinations of the next few trains.
The trains themselves run quietly and smoothly. The are clear signs on board telling you the next stop.
More frequent than the trains and more reliable than the buses.