Trams running through Croydon town centre will be suspended for 24 consecutive days this summer as Transport for London (TfL) undertakes essential track renewal work. The closure, from Thursday, August 6, to Sunday, August 30, 2026, aims to improve reliability and performance on 770 metres of tram track in the town centre.
Which services will run during the closure?
During the works, trams will operate between Wimbledon and Reeves Corner, East Croydon and New Addington, and East Croydon and Beckenham Junction. Five tram stops—Centrale, Church Street, George Street, Wellesley Road and West Croydon—will be closed while the essential work takes place. The Central Loop of the service will be all but closed, except at East Croydon.
There will be no tram service to or from Elmers End during the closure. Passengers are advised to use Birkbeck tram stop or local bus routes as alternatives.
Why is the work necessary?
The engineering works are designed to reduce the risk of track defects and service disruptions, ultimately improving reliability for the millions of journeys made through Croydon each year. Around 17 million journeys are made on London Trams, which consists of 39 stops.
Mark Davis, TfL's General Manager for London Trams, said: "We know these closures will affect some customers and we’re sorry for the disruption, but this investment is essential to maintaining a safe and reliable tram network. By replacing key sections of track in one of the busiest parts of the network, we’ll help improve reliability and reduce unplanned disruption for the millions of journeys made through Croydon each year."
Minimising disruption
Davis added: "There’s never a good time to close parts of the tram network, but we have planned this work during the school summer holidays, when passenger numbers are lower, to minimise disruption as much as possible. We encourage customers to plan ahead using our journey planning tools or the TfL Go app and thank them for their patience while we carry out these crucial improvements."
