Tramlink to Crystal Palace

A fairly short spur would take Tramlink from Harrington Road and Birkbeck via Anerley to Crystal Palace station.

This is the most likely Tramlink extension proposal to come to fruition.

The Tramlink route to Beckenham Junction took over one track of the rail route from Birkbeck to Beckenham Junction, which sees lightly-used trains to Victoria every half hour.

This proposal would see Tramlink take over the other track as well as the remaining railway up to Norwood Junction North. A west-to-south curve would be built at Love Lane (where Tramlink joins the rail alignment west of Birkbeck).

Upon reaching Norwood Junction North, Tramlink would have to make its own way to Crystal Palace, as the railway west of here is more heavily used by local trains between Croydon and Victoria. Three options are being considered, involving either street running up Anerley Road and Anerley Hill into the bus station through the Park gardens, full off-street beside the railway to Crystal Palace station and then along the edge of the park behind the museum, or a mix of the two with on-street running up to the station and then off-street through the edge of the park.

In any option, property take would be minimal and there would be a mix of single track sections and double track. There is an impetus by the Mayor for the tram to reach Upper Norwood and the bus parade, both for the best possible integration and for the regeneration of the Upper Norwood triangle at the top of Anerley Hill.

Services would run between Crystal Palace and Croydon up to every ten minutes, as well as running from Crystal Palace to Beckenham Junction to replace the unattractive half-hourly rail service with a quarter-hourly tram service.

Consultation on the proposed Tramlink extension to Crystal Palace has shown strong support from local businesses and residents for the scheme.