Secrets Of The Trams

Which BBC newsreader is the voice of the trams? Why is the tram network green? Why has West Croydon station got no platform 2?
We head to Croydon and the surrounding area to uncover the secrets of the tram network.

[@tulud]

lmao i love how this guy is so enthusiastic about tram stations

[@insertnamehere5660]

The Joker Yeah but would you prefer a grumpy old man doing the videos? I know I wouldn’t, I like the videos how they are; presented by an enthusiastic animated character. It makes the videos better for me

[@gabri_maybe]

He’s Also Love Train (and canals Too)

[@lakhan911]

I have a final in 3 hours and I live in Canada... why did I just watch all of this 😂😂

[@user-vk8yq8oq7p]

lakhan911 nobody cares

[@wearethefollowed]

Lakhan911 mood

[@theyoutubeguy1]

Because its interesting

[@olitesla5891]

TheKZbinGuy yep same here

[@cosmogal.ashella1907]

Because Geoff is awesome

[@briansivley2001]

This guy is exactly like me. I take our public transit to one end of the line just for fun to explore.

[@dx_ream9277]

briansivley2001 Me too but I do it with buses

[@huubhuijbens8816]

That's beautiful!

[@huda613]

I do that when I feel like a lifeless loser but it’s educational

[@berkhofduvedec]

Did it in London last week. Including all Tram lines.

[@OnkelJajusBahn]

I do the same in Austria.

[@JakeWolf00]

I just noticed that if you take the first letter of each pop-up, it spells "Tramlink". Very clever, Geoff!

[@terrotorotbart8319]

Nice spot there. As it seems, he did a similar thing with the DLR video as the pop-ups spell "Docklands".

[@cryptiic2063]

Very nicely spotted, both of you are too smart for our generation.

[@mariachrzski18]

What do you mean by pop up?

[@georgeadams2555]

@@mariachrzski18 the boxes with titbits of info in them

[@unionmapping4197]

Wow! You are right!!!

[@rickoneillable]

This guys really geeky about London transport but it's great

[@Dosedmonkey]

Rick Oneill He's turning me in to a transport geek and I love it.

[@BrajeshKumar-qp2ez]

5

[@sidharthnambiath3161]

The Newcastle Central to London Kins Cross or Edinburgh Waverley journey is awesome.

[@sidharthnambiath3161]

King's Cross*

[@michaelgill7484]

^ no ones said anything about it being bad ?

[@Matticitt]

As someone living in a city with 19 tram lines I found this video extremely interesting. I knew there were trams in London but I did not know how they operated. Thanks!

[@Jocko14ROBLOX]

Mateusz Wojtkiewicz warszawa?

[@Matticitt]

Unknown Merk Łódź

[@liambasye8958]

Let me guess, Amsterdam

[@mildlydispleased3221]

There used to be loads of tram lines in London but they were all destroyed in the 1960's and replaced with roads.

[@metalswifty23]

@@liambasye8958 One look at his name and you'd know that Amsterdam was highly unlikely, but he had already said which city long before you even commented (and an age before I commented).

[@mrerkleson9682]

The disused railway from Merton Park to Tooting was also used to connect with the Tri ang toy factory, which was the largest toy factory in the world. It was also used to produce stem guns in the Second World War. Really nice video Geoff and Dan.

[@bigmanted9864]

they went bankrupt on the 70s which is why the railway closed

[@alibiplay1396]

Fun fact: The newer Vario trams, built by Stadler Rail in Germany, are exactlly the same ones that run on the Bybanen in Bergen, Norway. They are technically the same.

[@JazzforhireCoUk-bands-london]

Great video ! Always wondered when growing up in Wimbledon in the 90's why they ripped up a perfectly good railway line albeit with totally shoddy services running on it, then a couple of years later, put new track down and put funky tram-style trains on it and called it a tram ! It was very weird and exciting going into Croydon one day and this train suddenly started going down the road along with the cars !!! (But I think that the vast majority of the "tram" network is just old train lines rebranded as trams.)

[@egg_mittens]

It's always cool seeing hybrid public transport

[@nickinsydney]

Great video. Thank you Geoff. I lived in Croydon in the 90s / early 2000s (it was actually alright back then) and one of the places I lived in was in shot in your video - funny to see it! I remember them building the tram stop right outside my bedroom window, including at the weekends. They laid the rails wrong, and had to take them up and re-lay them. They still didn't lie properly, and the removal/re-laying created problems with the electrical earth made between the rail and the tram car, so they had to be taken up yet again and re-bonded into position. We kept getting apologies from the Council and the engineering company for the weekend works. I ended up moving.

[@what-di8yo]

I wonder how Lebanon Road got its name, I was so surprised when I first saw this video: ''What? A tram station named after my home country?????!''

[@Ealsante]

Oh, it's actually just named after a small street near the station called Lebanon Road. I used to live around that area. No idea how the street got its name though...

[@jackhoenig6982]

Why have I been watching all of these. I live in America. Yet for some reason I keep watching.

[@yezdnil]

25 years ago, I used to live right opposite Birkbeck, and got a train from there every morning to Victoria, and returned every evening!! So, yes, I've been to Birkbeck!

[@rayinnes3562]

Yes so did I to visit my girlfriend,

[@veganryan]

Fun fact time.. I once got mugged at Sandilands.

[@jamesdavison1786]

ENGLISH JONA how do you know it’s on camera

[@jamesdavison1786]

ENGLISH JONA ok then

[@jamesdavison1786]

ENGLISH JONA *you’re

[@BluePuffyy]

I love using this

[@alexleo172]

Mugiland

[@dukenukem5768]

No mention that Mitcham is the oldest operating station in the World, having opened in 1802-3 for freight. It was originally on the horse-drawn Surrey Iron Railway, and later was on the Croydon-Wimbledon national rail line, There was double track in national rail days from Mitcham junction to 1/2 mile west of Mitcham, but cut back to Mitcham after a retaining wall subsidence. Tramlink's double track is now interlaced at that point.

[@DoktorOste]

3:15 That transition though

[@martinjcooney4537]

I live in Norwood and love the Tram, Hoping TFL decide to devise a plan that extends the Tram to more Suburban parts of Lewisham and Bromley. Connecting with future DLR and Bakerloo Extension proposals. ' Great Video', there's a trove of old disused railways in London; it's amazing history.

[@OnkelJajusBahn]

This rich history of (unfortunately) abanndoned railways is amazing. I really love all your videos.

[@ismoleppanen]

Managed finally to visit Tramlink and DLR in the of September. Found them both very interesting. I am from Helsinki, Finland, where trams still are the backbone of public transport in the central parts.

[@limesaviation2602]

Ismo Leppänen soumi perkele

[@unniFI]

perkel, meinasin just kommentoida saman

[@ReyanAsad]

No moi

[@Luca-ur3hy]

"Buses on rails" sounds more like the definition of Pacers.

[@KasabianFan44]

OMG I hate Pacers so much :D

[@EdJonesVideos]

Visit Wales if you want endless pacer trains, or equally horrific doppelgängers of pacer trains.

[@trainmaniacstudios8216]

For commuting they are a pain, but when you are travelling for pleasure, they are great fun

[@trainmaniacstudios8216]

Oh yes. I can totally agree with that ;D

[@poznanskiszybkowiec_official]

luca! its not called buses on rails! thats called Bus only road. simular to tracks!

[@oscarhogan8181]

Birbeck used to be my local station, the feeling of just missing a train was gutting especially with only 2 tph

[@danteshydratshirt2360]

I think thats the core issue. Its fine and dandy celebrating public transport in London but the further away you get the worse it is. Its like the govt only cares about London and if you live outside London its random if you get even a half decent service. Ironically many Londoners would call Croydon out of town. Its a little weird that Geoff says at the the end of the video hes wondering how he will get back home... theres probably services running multiple times an hour even at night taking people into London centre

[@fin720s]

@@danteshydratshirt2360 the reason why is says he is wondering how he will get home is because he says hes gonna ride the tram one more time but the tram network only covers 4 boroughs at the bottom of London and there are 32 boroughs and with only 1 other connection on the tram network to other tfl servives with the overground and a couple to other national rail lines at a couple other stations it makes sence he doesnt know who hes gonna get home. And you say there are multipel services an hour taking you into the centre of london, the tram networks closest point to the city of london is over 8 miles, the tram network doesnt go anywhere near the centre of london so you just havent really thought about it.

[@MissShellah]

Yesss, have been waiting for this! ♥

[@crazysharkgaming8947]

3:16 Adele Reference.

[@jeffkwan4210]

Hello? Oh, it's me. xD

[@harrytodhunter5078]

Hardly

[@mrkipling2201]

Watched every one of this series. Absolutely brilliant!!

[@robertjones9691]

Great Vid. I'm a Pom working at Yarra Trams in Melbourne. The system also has old heavy rail assets now run by the tram network.

[@DreamClean]

I had no idea we even had a Tram network in London... O.o

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

its not on the tube map thats why

[@-siberian-]

+QuixoticQuaver I used to visit london quite a lot, I share your feelings, I didn't even know there were trams in London

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

+bjoerkBE I think it was originally run by first group which probably explains the reason for not being on the map

[@mcgrindah8967]

+wclifton968 - gameplays & tutorials well it's ok there now! :)

[@wclifton968gameplaystutorials]

MC Grindah i know but im sure some people don't have the latest map & probably don't know about the Croydon umm i mean London Trams network; who cares anyway?

[@TheBVE]

Have been waiting for this for so long. Thanks a million!

[@smallbigdragon]

I used to live right near birkbeck and got the tram all the time! Probably the tram station I have been at the most.

[@benarthur3517]

So good I watched it twice!

[@CloudmasterGaming]

0:05 He wears green when the purple tram is behind him. Me: Unlucky geoff... unlucky...

[@surreytrainfilms5688]

Thank you so much for uploading this! Great Video!

[@viperhalberd]

Great video, thanks for doing it! I've been looking forward to this for a while now. Pity there wasn't more about the Wimbledon side of the line, as that's where I live, but what there is is great :) Thanks Geoff!

[@joewalker643]

Our thoughts go out to the families of the 7 who died at the sandlilands derailment.

[@keithrussell9662]

I loved the tram trip from centrale to west Croydon station yesterday and I knew about the trams in Croydon but I didn't went on the system until yesterday

[@RailwayDan]

Brilliant, as are all your "secrets of" videos. Especially enjoy where you pick out bits of previously used stations and closed lines. I enjoy railway archaeology in my spare time and really must pop up to London and have a good snoop around.

[@annie482000]

Never been on a tram myself but when I was little, I do remember going on trolleybuses with my mum and dad. Loved them!

[@mercluca]

I used to use Birckbeck national rail alot (I still do 😂)

[@user-jp2pj5tz2j]

RIP to those lives taken.

[@SRBAnimate]

Alexa, play despacito 2

[@trinity1181]

Brilliant, I have been waiting for this video for ages. Great work

[@kenkemzura903]

Greetings from across the pond on the far coast! Good show and thank you for sharing. Enjoyed my brief visit to England in 2016. Rode the North Moors and Yorkshire. Hope to visit again in the foreseeable future!

[@paulcleary1965]

Sorry Geoff but the top speed is 80 kph. I should know as I am a tram driver.

[@Londonistvids]

+Paul Cleary thanks Paul! we've let Geoff know, and made him wear the 'Dunces' hat for the day! now for us to ask you if the ''Gauntlet' track is still there or not just west of Mitcham tram stop ... ?

[@paulcleary1965]

+Londonist Ltd Yes the interlace gauntlet is there as is the interlace in Church street.

[@yegventures]

+Paul Cleary But there's a difference between top speed and top operating speed.

[@tdaranyi]

nakladne vlaky zvolenske

[@slipperysquid1267]

Paul Cleary is a nerd this

[@zubairkarmalkar26]

I just heard about the crash in Croydon that killed five people! I'm in total shock! How could this happen in London?! It feels so surreal to have been on the network that Londoners had already passed this world while commuting.

[@richardhutchinson5546]

Sad news, now being reported that seven people have died www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37919658

[@antoniorossi9553]

Sad news indeed, but it was 7 people not 5

[@jamesdavison1786]

Zubair Kazi no disrespect to the victims, but more people die in cars in London everyday if you include the m25

[@EricaGamet]

I was wondering why I didn't know about the trams or the overground routes...I last visited the UK in '97 and now I know they're all newer than that. Your videos are making me think it's time to come back for another visit!

[@trainlover123trainsrock]

3:13 now things like this is exactly why I love your channel and content Geoff

[@bushyconn]

Well, well, well! Every thing old is new - again! I am old enough to remember tramming down the old Kingsway tunnel to Aldwych o the way to work

[@michaelcvlogs5581]

Line 4 now goes all the way to wimbledon

[@businessbuilding1]

Finally, I've been waiting for this for a while!

[@BlackGateofMordor]

Coming from Melbourne, where the enormous tram network is integrated into the roads, these trams just look like regular train lines to me, aside from the obviously smaller carriages.

[@mattdandex]

You could do secrets of the buses

[@EM81YT]

mattdandex the video would be an hour long XD

[@dx_ream9277]

Well, maybe even 2 hours.

[@ismatara314]

That would take an hour long like exploring secrets of bus movie? XD

[@johnlawrence2757]

I remember when Croydon had red, double-decker trams running from Purley to Brixton

[@Jaxymann]

These are really well-made videos, absolutely loving them"

[@wavelen9454]

Yes! Finally secrets of the trams! I live in Finland and i'm going to London, Beckenham in the summer so i'm sure gonna check out every secret and ride a lot of trams.

[@Petra44YT]

Cool, so London has trams, just like Düsseldorf :-) Now I just need to think of a reason to use them whenever I travel to London. Which in fact I should ...

[@constancelee5675]

Been on them there good get all the way to Croydon practical

[@Anjanchaudhury]

Love your videos, Geoff, thanks for them, very interesting.

[@multiplio2924]

Yay! Will definitely look out for these next time I go!

[@OIG119]

Remember what Geoff said at the end of the Waterloo and City Line video? It works here.

[@luk3c1ary]

It also works on the dlr video

[@mogulrFN]

OLIVER Greene ik

[@YT_Epic]

OLIVER Greene What?The anagram thingy?

[@kingofficial4465]

no the trams are not tube they are trams

[@gamercoolcraft4208]

Geoff said it as a joke but idc

[@literallyjase]

London has trams?

[@Londonistvids]

+Jason Cardoz Very much! Come to Croydon!

[@louisjamescarroll2173]

+Londonist Ltd can you do the secrets of national rail

[@trainmaster1253]

+Londonist Ltd I have been on a tram from Beckham junction to west Croydon and back to Beckham junction

[@robsonwilianwinchester9726]

Jason Cardoz yeswu!!!!! ( is like yeah )

[@oparasatauwaya]

No.

[@rckoubasalah8093]

Wow times pass quick . I remember like it was today 1997 😕 guess I'm very old . brilliant vid by the way keep them coming .great chap too

[@Macen]

i remember the red trams :( Miss those

[@thegrowl2210]

Mmm, delicious knowledge...

[@williammakupa5896]

I love trams

[@paulhammond1705]

I love "Electric Rail Tram's they are very good, nice, brilliant, beautiful.

[@CoolAsFreya]

Melbourne, Australia already has a rich history of streetcar trams with tracks laid in the street, but in fairly modern history two disused broad gauge (1600mm) railway lines to St Kilda and Port Melbourne were regauged to standard gauge (1435mm) and made into lightrail connected with the rest of Melbourne's trams

[@luxford60]

Excellent, and glad you mentioned that part of the route covers part of the Surrey Iron Railway.

[@smeghead7698]

Also,parts of that old railway were a canal originally.

[@punkypink83]

oh gosh. sandilands at 3.59... where that tram derailed a couple of days ago...

[@likethelittle3yt330]

punkypink83 aka Emily thinking that

[@TheAlbinoskunk]

I've been saying for like two years that I need to get down there and go on the trams but I've still never ventured further south than Peckham...... in 19 years of living in London..

[@mcgrindah8967]

Go down to Croydon and get a tram. where do you live in London

[@Schnorbs]

Come and see Much Ado About Nothing in Wandle Park at the end of July - an excellent excuse to use the tram!

[@infoprovider4844]

I love how a video about trams in London gets 1.2 million views! The internet is beautiful!

[@MrFantasnick]

Aaaah, I needed my fix of knowledge and Geoff's contagious enthusiasm! Oh London, I'll visit you one day, I promise!

[@LouisOnAir]

Do you by any chance live in Montreal?

[@MrFantasnick]

+Louis Hypothetical I do indeed. You've recognized my profile pic I see! :P

[@brandonmartin-moore5302]

There are no subtitles for a big chunk of the video.

[@eyeballseesaws]

Do they still have Docklands trains in London?

[@XFXRyan99QPR]

Yes

[@galactic_nerd-sk4747]

@MusicalElitist1 Nothing stupid about asking a question. Unless it's a dumb question but that isn't

[@jamesdavison1786]

everything_is_depressing_123 it really is stupid

[@jelofts]

Very interesting and informative Geoff - as are all in the series.

[@laurencelowne8454]

glad you enjoyed your travel around my area. there are plans to extend the tram up to Sutton as well.

[@tobiasvis9379]

This tram network is so different then the one of Amsterdam

[@sodabehaslinia740]

I used to live in Croydon but I moved to Leicester:(

[@Karlinski73]

Excellent stuff as per, Geoff.

[@megapangolin1093]

Great video, packed with history and facts. Enjoyed your enthusiastic, clear narration without too much "look at me which is getting common now". Well done. Now subscribed.

[@KasabianFan44]

4:41 "Letter codes are used to identify all tram stops" But isn't that true for all the railway stations in the UK? ;)

[@KasabianFan44]

***** Oh, I didn't know that :-)

[@montyandmaryv9340]

I live near Birkbeck

[@davidhcobbald3632]

Very exciting!! I need to ride on the trams during my future visits to London!! 😁

[@365222]

I used Birkbeck station for 7 years when I was at school in Streatham during the 60's

[@timosha21]

I am a train 🚆and I approve this video

[@davidyoung5114]

Now I'm wondering....do you consider the costs of all the traveling that you do as a business expense that can be deducted from your income tax?

[@andrewholloway231]

A very enjoyable video. Superb.

[@Rrobloxedits]

When the Elizabeth Line comes out there should be a 'Secrets of the Elizabeth Line' video!

[@SimonS44]

0:45 captions: I think you confused London with Croydon. The system with the numbers up to 2529 was obviously a London-wide network, not just Croydon

[@namzkhan5708]

Vitc

[@RoulinBrooks]

I wonder if the duplicate version of himself is the same duplicate that we see in the Circle Line video.

[@gregormcintosh4525]

bibbly bobbly #puns

[@rail_roadgaming677]

Thanks Geoff! I will remember that.

[@darkgreenambulance]

How I enjoy this presentation! Wonderful to see trams on the march again after all these years. Very different from the double deckers - but trams all the same - and very nice ones too! Looking forward to riding on them as well as the new all electric buses which, I believe, have a range of 180 miles on one battery charge!

[@ednuttah]

Nicholas Owens I think who was actually ITV for most of his professional career rather than BBC,

[@SB-gw7cc]

ednuttah He went on the 2006 series of Strictly Come Dancing, so he's both BBC and ITV!

[@Dazzalinco1]

Fact: Melbourne, Australia has the biggest tram network in the world

[@xmsre]

Fact: London's transport systems are the most consistent and efficient systems in the world!

[@deanl4575]

Fact: Always delayed and slow.

[@thiswalkinglife]

Great topic, great vid mate

[@CBTvideos]

I used to always ride from Wimbledon Station to New Addington, East Croydon is by far my favourite stop.

[@railrunners]

4:26 I can see my ex's workplace. Burn it.

[@sparrow3394]

:o

[@CityWhisperer]

Bruh

[@oly.mp4]

the fact the she used to fucking love you.

[@Fred-xz5hh]

Manchester Metrolink is a lot larger

[@jamesdavison1786]

Fred 900 London has a much larger underground

[@HenrysAdventures]

In some ways I love how London has a nice little tram system, in other I wish it served more of London!

[@robertparry4929]

As a Melburnian, seeing London have a tram service brought memories of home when I was there in 2019

[@Busman500PTEnthusiast]

Melbourne my city has the most trams in the world

[@LaurenceReeves]

In all my life I never knew there was a tram line in London 😐

[@Londonistvids]

+Laurence Reeves hey, Laurence! There is a Tram line in London. :-)

[@jsma9999]

+Laurence Reeves there were tram in london untill 1952, See the Flim "the Elephant will Never Forget"-BFI. them in 1990's They put in Tram that Londonist Did.Hope this helps

[@eminick4908]

+Laurence Reeves there is a tram i member 2014 good times

[@michellebell5092]

Hi Geoff, I’ve just watched this video. Excellent. I love the trams , I live near though rather on the tram network but I do go through Mitcham Junction on Southern trains nearly every day. You sadly in my view omitted it , a shame because it’s a fantastic station and featuring the flyover over the Southern.

[@cantbants]

I live in North London and have never been on the trams and still I'm excited this video is out.