{
  "id": 2935296,
  "title": "A global tram renaissance is underway. Why isn’t London jumping on board?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/a-global-tram-renaissance-is-underway-why-isnt-london-jumping-on-board",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-24T04:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "City AM",
    "slug": "city-am",
    "url": "https://www.cityam.com/a-global-tram-renaissance-is-underway-why-isnt-london-jumping-on-board/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "During the late 1800s, London boasted the world's most extensive tram network, which was funded by private capital and municipal borrowing. Londoners took 280 million tram journeys by the 1920s, and the system generated enough revenue to cover its costs without significant public subsidy. However, nationalization and amalgamation in 1933 under the London Passenger Transport Board marked the beginning of the end for London's trams. In a misguided attempt to modernize, the London County Council tore up the trams, believing that buses and cars would ease congestion. This decision, while intended to relieve congestion, led to permanent congestion instead. Despite the global resurgence of trams due to their higher capacity, environmental benefits, and economic advantages, London remains hesitant. London has built only one modern tramway, the Croydon Tramlink, and has struggled to progress with subsequent proposals. The high cost of tram construction in London, estimated at £87 million per mile, is significantly higher than the European average of £42 million. This is attributed to lengthy and centralized approval processes, extensive utility diversion, bespoke designs, fragmented procurement, and the tendency to merge tram projects with broader public works. London's inability to execute tram projects has resulted in missed opportunities for improved mobility, lower pollution, and increased productivity.",
  "summary": "London, once home to the world's largest tram network, squandered it all. Nicholas Boys Smith explains how London can get back on track.",
  "key_points": [
    "London once had the world's largest tram network in the late 1800s.",
    "Nationalization in 1933 led to trams being torn up, causing congestion.",
    "London's high tram construction costs (£87M/mile) hinder progress."
  ],
  "editors_take": "London's failure to adopt modern tram systems amid a global resurgence means it misses out on improved mobility, lower pollution, and increased productivity, stuck with congestion instead.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}