Organised by CIHT London, CIHT Members were granted access to the tram depot receiving a tour exploring the depot and it's functions. The visit coincided with TfL trams 25 year anniversary, celebrating a key part of South London's infrastructure which supports more than 17 million journeys each year.

The tour began with an overview from TfL colleagues of the history of the network and how the trams began, as well as a look at the future of the tram network.

As part of the tour, attendees were given a unique insight into tram fleet management, management of the tram network, customer & operator services and the depot decarbonisation project. CIHT Members were also able to try the driver simulator, providing perspective of tram driving and the complexities of keeping to schedule whilst navigating traffic.

Darryl Vambe who has just recently joined CIHT as a member attended the visit and was able to try the simulator. 

I attended the Croydon Tram Depot tour through CIHT during TfL's 25th anniversary celebrations as part of my professional development in transport infrastructure. The site visit gave me a proper look at current operations and their sustainability work.

I'd recommend site experiences of all kinds for broadening your understanding of how transport engineering actually functions day-to-day. CIHT runs more of these visits for members interested in seeing operational practice firsthand.

The visit also delved into the operational challenges and how engineers have to respond quickly to issues to prevent delays on the network. TfL colleagues provided valuable insight throughout the day, in addition to showing first-hand what goes into daily network management they also discussed incident response protocols and the maintenance scheduling required.

The visit closed with a Q&A session. CIHT would like to thank TfL for hosting members at this unique opportunity and our CIHT London volunteers for organising this fantastic learning and CPD opportunity. 

Keep an eye out for more from CIHT London.

Get involved

If you have any suggestions or ideas for future events, please get in touch: regions@ciht.org.uk 

Find out more about CIHT London here.

If you are interested in becoming a member, take a look at our membership options: CIHT Membership. 

Take action: Record your CPD

CPD is defined as any activity that provides new knowledge or skills that help you to achieve your professional development goals or has otherwise helped you to develop as a highways and transportation professional.

Plan, record and manage your CPD for free at CIHT Learn.

Need help with getting the most out of your CPD access CIHT’s CPD Guidance here.