London's role in sustaining a successful global and European economy is inextricably linked to the welfare and prosperity of its local communities.

Within walking distance of the wealth and opportunity of central London, are some of the most deprived areas of London and the UK.

Cross River Tram will go a long way to addressing these issues and has great potential to unite areas physically, economically and socially with improvements to transport, regeneration and the environment. The ways in which the project will do this are outlined below.

Transport
Londoners and visitors alike will be acutely aware of the congestion problems that London suffers on existing public transport systems. Many tube lines are already well up to capacity at peak times and London Underground often has to resort to station control measures to relieve overcrowding, including station closures.

Cross River Tram will help alleviate overcrowding on the Northern line and main line rail stations along its route. It will provide interchanges with 12 tube stations on nine different lines and four mainline rail stations.

Poor transport has often been cited as a key factor in the inequality between the areas north and south of the Thames, with the south being historically less prosperous than the north. Despite its location within walking distance of the thriving centres of the City and West End, many parts of south London (comprising neighbourhoods in Lambeth and Southwark) remain amongst the most deprived areas in the country.

The area has suffered long term decline and been blighted by the physical impact of road and rail systems serving the needs of central London and its global economic function, rather than its local communities.

The route of Cross River Tram is purposefully aligned to connect areas of deprivation with areas of prosperity, and to link previously poorly connected communities to transport networks including key international, national and local transport interchanges which were previously difficult to access.

Economic development and employment opportunities
London Development Agency's economic strategy outlines the crucial link between new transport infrastructure and economic development in London. New business and employment growth is dependent upon good quality, reliable public transport links. CRT will provide exactly the type of link needed to attract investment into otherwise difficult to reach areas and development sites.

Cross River Tram complements other CRP projects in its Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) programme, which reduce personal barriers to entering the jobs market. CRT and associated regeneration projects will ensure that opportunities and access to the jobs market continue to grow long after the end of SRB. Cross River Partnership have commissioned an Economic Impact Assessment into Cross River Tram, which is available to download from the bottom of the page.

The 22 wards adjoining the route of CRT have a population of nearly 200,000. However of those 22 wards, 13 are ranked as being among the top ten per cent of most deprived in the country. Some wards in Southwark and Lambeth contain the largest concentrations of deprivation outside east London.

One of the key aims of CRT is to link deprived and isolated communities along its route with the jobs, education and opportunities of central London. The project in itself is estimated to contribute 78,000 jobs and there will be improved accessibility to jobs and other social facilities for residents along the whole route.

Environment
Air pollution in London is higher than anywhere else in the UK, and is on a par with Paris, Madrid and Athens.  Road traffic is the major source affecting nitrogen dioxide levels in London, accounting for approximately 60 per cent of emissions.

Cross River Tram will help clean up the capital by providing a quiet and environmentally friendly link through central London. The Tram will be a real alternative to noisy and smelly cars for trips into and around town. This supports the Mayors Air Quality Strategy 2002 and the Mayors Transport Strategy 2004 whose primary aim is to reduce pollution from traffic.

Cross River Tram will help London move towards a cleaner air environment by reducing emissions of the primary greenhouse gas CO2, by over 28,000 tonnes per year. CRT itself will produce no pollution at the point of operation with the intention for green energy schemes to provide the power.

The Benefits of Light Rail
The Passenger Transport Executive Group (PTEG) recognised that there is a wide range of research available about the benefits of light rail systems. PTEG Commissioned Steer Davis Gleave to examine the evidence available and pull it together into a report.  What Light Rail can do for Cities (February 2005) provides a comprehensive review of light rail systems and spells out its benefits for cities such as London.  This can be downloaded from the PTEG website by clicking link at the bottom of the page. 

The way forward
Transport for London prepared an Outline Business Case assessing the wider impact of the tram. To support this, CRP prepared a supplementary Business Case (October 2004). This appraises the tram against important criteria not generally included in the assessment of major transport infrastructure projects in the UK. Its also puts these appraisals in the context of the latest industry intelligence and research.

This report is downloadable from the left hand side of this page by chapter. If you would like to be sent a copy please emailcrossriver@lambeth.gov.uk or call 020 7926 1132.