According to:
http://iccroydon.icnetwork.co.uk/new...siteid=5334 0


By Ian Austen - 1 Aug 2003





"THE town's most up-to-date shopping centre faces the prospect of being
by-passed by Croydon's tram system.

A complicated wrangle over responsibility for the link means that Centrale
will miss out on the connection - even though trams will be passing only
yards from the main entrance.

The bizarre situation arises out of lengthy and unresolved negotiations over
who does what to ensure the £100m shopping centre, the bulk of which is to
open by Easter next year, is served by Tramlink.

When the St Martins Property Group got planning permission for the
development comprising more than 40 shops, restaurants and a 1,000-space car
park, Croydon Council insisted the company paid for a new tram-stop in
Tamworth Road[single track, between Reeves Corner and the Bus station -
Alan].

Centrale has duly sought to carry out the work at a cost of around £250,000,
but who is going foot the bill for the huge extra sum needed to ensure trams
can stop without wrecking existing schedules for passengers is still up in
the air.

Roger Harding, general manager of TCL - the company which runs Tramlink -
says 21 trams an hour use the central Croydon loop, passing Centrale.

If they were all to stop, the timetables regulated by Transport for London
(TfL), would face major disruption.

Mr Harding said: "It is all a question of practicalities of providing a
service which matches the present timetable. That could easily mean us
needing another tram."

The cost of buying a new tram and making necessary running changes could be
close to £6m."

SNIP

Any comments?

Regards,

- Alan (in Brussels)