Sutton Link

Respondents also supported a northern terminus at Wimbledon, a loop to serve St Helier Hospital, and running entirely around the Sutton gyratory.

[11] In May 2016, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said he remained committed to the project, and called on Sutton Council to raise the shortfall in funding.

[16] The consultation indicated that options 1 or 2 would cost £425m as a segregated tram line, but also could be delivered at £275m as a bus rapid transit (BRT) route.

[17] Services to Wimbledon regardless of route would however be postponed several years to co-ordinate with Crossrail 2 works, due to the low capacity on tram platforms in the station and to limit disruption.

[23] Following the loss of passenger income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TfL announced in July 2020 that the project had been put on hold, as "as the transport case is poor and there remains a significant funding gap".

[24] Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner, said that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in making "difficult choices" about funding of projects.

[24] The project was identified in the 2021 London Plan as a key transport scheme, with an indicated medium cost level, and construction within the decade spanning from 2020 to 2030.

[26] In April 2023, MP for Sutton and Cheam and Minister for London Paul Scully criticised Mayor of London Sadiq Khan for failing to build the extension, stating that "we need more public transport alternatives" before the Ultra Low Emission Zone is extended to Sutton.

[23] A spokesperson for the Mayor responded by requesting financial support from government towards the tram extension, noting the £440 million funding gap.

[29][31] In September 2024, Luke Taylor, the newly elected MP for Sutton and Cheam pledged to advocate for the project.

He highlighted the council's ongoing efforts and the support from Liberal Democrats in the London Assembly such as Caroline Pidgeon, who have been urging TfL to reinstate funding for the extension.