Shortlist of bidders announced for Croydon tram project

Date: 28/3/2011

Boris Johnson has unveiled the shortlist of bidders which have offered their services to a public transport project in Croydon.

The Mayor of London has revealed that Stadler - Stadler Pankow GmBH - and Pesa, Pojazdy Szynowe PESA Bydgoszcz SA Holding, along with City of Edinburgh/CAF, are the three groups that have been invited to begin the next stage of the bidding process by submitting their proposals.

According to Transport for London, whichever applicant is chosen to supply the additional vehicles will be helping to increase the number of services offered on one of the busiest parts of the Tramlink network - between Therapia Lane, central Croydon and Elmers End.

The London Borough of Croydon is to contribute £3 million of funding to the scheme and it is hoped that if an acceptable bid is confirmed the new trams could be up and running in under a year.

"Trams in Croydon have proved a major success and this is reflected in journey numbers which have soared by 45 per cent since the network opened in 2000," said Mr Johnson.

Last week, the Department for Transport announced that plans to extend a tram network in Nottingham have been green lighted by the government to enter the next stage of the funding approval process.

Posted by Nick Anderson