A former Transport for London board member today called for an automated braking system for the Croydon tramlink.
Brian Cooke, who was also a member of TfL’s safety and assurance committee and former chairman of the London Travelwatch watchdog, said a system which would halt a tram automatically if it exceeded the speed limit would be expensive “but worth it.”
The call comes after seven people were killed when a tram derailed on a notorious bend last week.
He said: “An automated braking system, much the same as on the [Docklands Light Railway], must now be looked at.
“Obviously, you could never had a driverless system but you could control speeds.”
Croydon Tram derailment
He added: “Track design also has to be seriously looked at. If the system was being built today you would not build such an acute curve as there is at Sandilands.”
On the DLR if the whole system fails trains can run in restricted manual at 12 miles per hour for safety until the system is restored and communication is re-established.
Emergency brakes can be applied if the train breaks the speed limit during manual control or overshoots a fixed stopping point, or if it leaves the station when the route has not been set.
Work to replace the damaged track at Sandilands was completed over the weekend.
Engineers were running test trains today as is standard procedure, to ensure everything is working properly.
It is not yet known whether the line will reopen tomorrow.
There is currently no service between East Croydon and Addington Village, Harrington Road and Elmers End.
The A232 Addiscombe Road, closed at the time of the crash, has now reopened.
