Editing Tramlink (section)

{{Short description|Light rail tram system in South London}}
{{About|a tramway which opened in 2000|trams operating 1900–1933|Croydon Corporation Tramways|the tram model by Stadler|Stadler Tramlink}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox Public transit
| name = Tramlink
| image = Trams roundel.svg
| imagesize = 150px
| image2 = Variobahn and CR4000 at Sandilands.jpg
| imagesize2 = 300px
| caption2 = Variobahn and CR4000 trams at Sandilands tram stop
| image3 = Tramlink map 2017.png
| imagesize3 = 300px
| caption3 = System diagram
| locale = [[South London]]
| area served = {{[[London Borough of Croydon|Croydon]]|[[London Borough of Merton|Merton]]}}
| transit_type = [[Light rail]] using [[tram]]s
| stations = 39
| ridership = 
| annual_ridership = 20.0 million (2023–24)<ref name="dft23/24">{{cite web |title=Light rail and tram statistics, England: year ending March 2024 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/light-rail-and-tram-statistics-england-year-ending-march-2024/light-rail-and-tram-statistics-england-year-ending-march-2024 |publisher=Department for Transport |access-date=17 October 2024}}</ref> {{decrease}} 4.3%
| began_operation = {{start date|2000|05|10|df=yes}}
| owner = [[Transport for London]]
| operator = [[TfL]]
| vehicles = {{plainlist|
* 23 [[Bombardier CR4000]]
* 12 [[Stadler Variobahn#Variobahn trams for Croydon Tramlink|Stadler Variobahn]]
}}
| train_length = 
| system_length = {{cvt|28|km}}
| track_gauge = {{Track gauge|sg|allk=on}}
| el = {{750 V DC|conductor=overhead}}
| minimum_radius_of_curvature = 
| top_speed = {{cvt|80|km/h}}
| map_name = 
| map = {{Tramlink RDT|inline=1}}
| map_state = collapsed
| website = {{Official URL}}
}}
'''Tramlink''', previously '''Croydon Tramlink''' and currently branded as '''London Trams''', is a [[light rail]] [[tram]] system serving [[Croydon]] and surrounding areas in [[South London]], England. It is the first operational tram system serving the London region since 1952. Tramlink is presently managed by London Trams, a public body part of [[Transport for London]] (TfL), and has been operated by [[FirstGroup]] since 2017. It is one of two light rail networks in [[Greater London]], the other being the [[Docklands Light Railway]]. Tramlink is the fourth-busiest light rail network in the UK behind the [[Docklands Light Railway]], [[Manchester Metrolink]] and [[Tyne and Wear Metro]].<ref>{{cite web |url = https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/720315/light-rail-and-tram-statistics-england-2018.pdf |title = Light Rail and Tram Statistics, England: 2017/18 |publisher = Department for Transport |language = en-GB}}</ref>

Studies for the delivery of a modern-day tram system in Croydon began in the 1960s and detailed planning was performed in the 1980s. Approval of the scheme was received in 1990 and, following a competitive [[invitation to tender|tender]] process, construction and initial operation of the tramway was undertaken by ''Tramtrack Croydon'' (TC) via a 99-year [[Private Finance Initiative]] (PFI) contract. The official opening of Tramlink took place on 10 May 2000; by the end of the year three routes were operational. The network consists of 39 stops along {{convert|28|km|0|abbr=on}} of track,<ref name = "tfl whatwedo">{{cite web |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/what-we-do/london-trams?intcmp=2647 |title=London Trams |publisher=Transport for London |access-date=9 November 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108184124/https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/what-we-do/london-trams?intcmp=2647 |archive-date=8 November 2016 |language = en-GB}}</ref> on a mixture of street track shared with other traffic, dedicated track in public roads, and off-street track consisting of new rights-of-way, former railway lines, and one right-of-way where the Tramlink track runs parallel to a [[third rail]]-electrified [[Network Rail]] line. The network's lines coincide in central Croydon, with eastern termini at [[Beckenham Junction station|Beckenham Junction]], [[Elmers End station|Elmers End]] and [[New Addington tram stop|New Addington]], and a western terminus at [[Wimbledon station|Wimbledon]], where there is an interchange for [[London Underground]].

Since its original opening, the tram network has been expanded and additional [[rolling stock]] has been purchased. During 2008, TfL took over Tramlink operations, ending the PFI and making the company a subsidiary of TfL. Additional rolling stock was introduced during the early 2010s. Furthermore, numerous extensions to the network have been discussed, the most recent of which is the [[Sutton Link]], an extension to connect [[Sutton, London|Sutton]] to [[Colliers Wood tube station|Colliers Wood]]. Sutton Link was paused in 2020 until funding can be secured. In the 2020s, TfL began work to order new trams for the system.