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Post by busaholic on Mar 29, 2018 22:05:07 GMT
So, nearly eighteen years since by a fluke I was in Croydon on the very day when the tram service started without prior public warning, not one extra yard of track has been added to the system, just one extra, overpriced and underused stop for the unloved Centrale (sic) monstrosity. In the meantime, seemingly in spite of the endeavours of some in high places, passenger numbers and revenue continue to increase. The developers apparently 'drove a hard bargain', presumably along the lines of 'we're not paying for it, what are you going to do about it?' and the council planners and their political masters replied 'yes,sir, no sir, three bags full,sir, please don't huff and puff and bring the whole shopping centre down'. Depressingly familiar.
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Post by snoggle on Mar 29, 2018 23:01:29 GMT
So, nearly eighteen years since by a fluke I was in Croydon on the very day when the tram service started without prior public warning, not one extra yard of track has been added to the system, just one extra, overpriced and underused stop for the unloved Centrale (sic) monstrosity. In the meantime, seemingly in spite of the endeavours of some in high places, passenger numbers and revenue continue to increase. The developers apparently 'drove a hard bargain', presumably along the lines of 'we're not paying for it, what are you going to do about it?' and the council planners and their political masters replied 'yes,sir, no sir, three bags full,sir, please don't huff and puff and bring the whole shopping centre down'. Depressingly familiar. It's not worth decrying the council. The entire planning system is weighted in favour of developers and councils are effectively powerless. Developers know they can appeal any negative decisions. They also know they can play "hard ball" over financial contributions. I suspect TfL's lack of money to do anything meaningful to Tramlink was also a sign to Westfield / Hammerson that they could pull the plug on their contribution as TfL didn't have the money to fund the balance of the costs. I think your statement of "non one extra year of track" is extremely unfair. The system has had a lot of asset deficiencies sorted out - worn out track etc. Much of the single track between Croydon and Wimbledon has been doubled to allow for a much more frequent services. New trams have been bought. An extra platform has been added at Wimbledon and an extra one is due at Elmers End. Yes we have not had a huge extension to the system - who promised such a thing in two Mayoral elections and then did naff all about it? Ooh he's something important in government now isn't he? I fear we may end up in the same place with the Sutton extension because there is not the scale of private sector contributions to fund the balance between the costs and the £100m TfL have set aside in a development fund. I think there is a lot of political pressure to do something substantive for the LB of Sutton but a tram line is a hell of a commitment in the current environment.
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Post by sid on Mar 30, 2018 6:39:14 GMT
So, nearly eighteen years since by a fluke I was in Croydon on the very day when the tram service started without prior public warning, not one extra yard of track has been added to the system, just one extra, overpriced and underused stop for the unloved Centrale (sic) monstrosity. In the meantime, seemingly in spite of the endeavours of some in high places, passenger numbers and revenue continue to increase. The developers apparently 'drove a hard bargain', presumably along the lines of 'we're not paying for it, what are you going to do about it?' and the council planners and their political masters replied 'yes,sir, no sir, three bags full,sir, please don't huff and puff and bring the whole shopping centre down'. Depressingly familiar. What benefit was this Dingwall Road loop supposed to bring? As far as I can see it was all about reducing the number of trams crossing Wellesley Road? There was actually lot of local opposition to the proposal and maybe that's why it's been dropped?
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Post by TB141 on Mar 30, 2018 9:41:02 GMT
Been offered a job at Tramlink. No start date as yet but I’m absolutely made up.
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Post by T.R. on Mar 30, 2018 15:21:30 GMT
Been offered a job at Tramlink. No start date as yet but I’m absolutely made up. Congratulations!!!
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Post by TA1 on Mar 30, 2018 16:43:55 GMT
Been offered a job at Tramlink. No start date as yet but I’m absolutely made up. Congratulations - I just got offered Trainee Train Driver role officially w/ my TOC. So can kind of relate, very surreal. Well done again!
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Post by TB141 on Mar 30, 2018 17:20:52 GMT
Been offered a job at Tramlink. No start date as yet but I’m absolutely made up. Congratulations!!! Thank you!
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Post by TB141 on Mar 30, 2018 17:21:21 GMT
Been offered a job at Tramlink. No start date as yet but I’m absolutely made up. Congratulations - I just got offered Trainee Train Driver role officially w/ my TOC. So can kind of relate, very surreal. Well done again! Brilliant. Competition is extremely fierce for train driver jobs so you’ve don’t extremely well 👍
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Post by YY13VKP on Mar 30, 2018 17:37:19 GMT
Been offered a job at Tramlink. No start date as yet but I’m absolutely made up. Congratulations mate! All the best for your new job. Hopefully you'll be able to tell us what it's like?
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Post by TB141 on Mar 30, 2018 17:53:32 GMT
Been offered a job at Tramlink. No start date as yet but I’m absolutely made up. Congratulations mate! All the best for your new job. Hopefully you'll be able to tell us what it's like? Hope so too. There were 400 applicants for 10 positions so I’m pretty chuffed.
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Post by 725DYE on Mar 30, 2018 18:05:04 GMT
Been offered a job at Tramlink. No start date as yet but I’m absolutely made up. Congratulations and best of luck to you mate!!
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Post by TB141 on Mar 30, 2018 18:05:56 GMT
Been offered a job at Tramlink. No start date as yet but I’m absolutely made up. Congratulations and best of luck to you mate!! Thanks man 😊
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Post by snoggle on Mar 30, 2018 19:29:25 GMT
Congratulations mate! All the best for your new job. Hopefully you'll be able to tell us what it's like? Hope so too. There were 400 applicants for 10 positions so I’m pretty chuffed.I bet. That's some scale of competition to beat off. Well done.
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Post by snoggle on Mar 30, 2018 19:30:32 GMT
Been offered a job at Tramlink. No start date as yet but I’m absolutely made up. Congratulations - I just got offered Trainee Train Driver role officially w/ my TOC. So can kind of relate, very surreal. Well done again! Well done. You get to play with the 313s in due course IIR a previous post correctly.
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Post by busaholic on Mar 30, 2018 21:41:48 GMT
So, nearly eighteen years since by a fluke I was in Croydon on the very day when the tram service started without prior public warning, not one extra yard of track has been added to the system, just one extra, overpriced and underused stop for the unloved Centrale (sic) monstrosity. In the meantime, seemingly in spite of the endeavours of some in high places, passenger numbers and revenue continue to increase. The developers apparently 'drove a hard bargain', presumably along the lines of 'we're not paying for it, what are you going to do about it?' and the council planners and their political masters replied 'yes,sir, no sir, three bags full,sir, please don't huff and puff and bring the whole shopping centre down'. Depressingly familiar. What benefit was this Dingwall Road loop supposed to bring? As far as I can see it was all about reducing the number of trams crossing Wellesley Road? There was actually lot of local opposition to the proposal and maybe that's why it's been dropped? I didn't understand the logic behind it either. The worst possible result would be that Hammerson get to dictate the level of tram service on Wellesley Road by default i.e. cars blocking the road system trying to enter their car parks preventing anything like the-timetabled level of service, so East Croydon becoming the default terminus for Addington trams. I was stuck in the Whitgift Centre during the extraordinary July storm in the late 1990s when several inches of rain fell in a few hours and nothing moved on or around Wellesley Road for the duration. Not even emergency vehicles could get through, from what I heard later. That was before the trams had started, but I don't believe they'd not have been effectively blocked either.
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