Unblock the Croydon Bottleneck

A new train station at East Croydon: have your say on Network Rail’s proposals

Network Rail is consulting the public on its proposals to rebuild both East Croydon and Norwood Junction Train Stations; its plan to untangle Britain’s most complicated set of junctions in the Selhurst Triangle. This project requires the rebuilding of the current Windmill Bridge to increase the number of railways tracks into East Croydon from 6 to 8.

Details of the proposals can be found on the Unblocking the Croydon bottleneck section of the Network Rail website. The official name for the scheme is Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS).

Online public consultation on Network Rail proposals begins on Monday 1 June, when people will be able to view and share their thoughts on the scheme.

Over 1700 trains currently pass through the Croydon area every week, the busiest part of the UK’s rail network. The reason behind this proposal is that demand for train travel along the Brighton Main Line is still forecast to increase, and without increased capacity at East Croydon and Norwood Junction, the timetable can’t accommodate this growth..

The detailed proposals from Network can be viewed online here, and during the consultation period, the public will also be able to speak with Network Rail’s project team, including designers and engineers, using a live online chat facility. You can also speak to Network Rail team via the dedicated consultation hotline. The hotline is available by calling 020 7118 0684 from 1 June until 17 July at the following times:

  • Monday to Wednesday – 10:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 16:00
  • Thursday – 18:00 – 20:00
  • Saturday – 10:00 – 12:00

Feedback can be submitted until Sunday 20 September 2020. The comments, which form part of Network Rail’s second consultation on some of the key elements of the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS), will then be used to help shape the final designs.

Network Rail has not yet received funding to carry out this project, and even if the current government does agree to fund these proposals, it may not be until 2033 that all the works are likely to complete.

As local councillors, we are keen to hear your views on these proposals, and we will be making our own submission to Network Rail, which we will share on this website. Please let us know your views at [email protected]