TRANSPORT FOR LONDON has named a European supplier as the builder of six new trams for Croydon, but the order is smaller than originally predicted.

A spokesman for TfL said the originally quoted figure of 10 vehicles had been an estimate, and that it had always been the intention to get the best deal -- and as many trams -- as possible.

The deal with Stadler, which is based in Switzerland, is worth £16.3 million. The London Borough of Croydon is contributing £3 million.

Some modifications will be needed to the infrastructure. In particular, TfL said the platforms at some stops would need lengthening, because at 32.5m the new trams are 2.5m longer than the existing Bombardier vehicles, which were built at the end of the 1990s.

The confirmation of the order has also dashed hopes that some of the Edinburgh trams could have travelled south: the Scottish fleet has yet to be used because of major problems with the project, and the fleet of 27 vehicles is larger than is likely to be needed for the forseeable future.

However, Railnews had already learnt that the price being asked was seen as high by TfL, and a further problem was that the Edinburgh trams would only have been available on lease -- it was said five years had been offered -- rather than sold to TfL outright.

The first of the air-conditioned, low floor 'Variobahn' trams should arrive this winter, and go into service in the spring, with all six due in traffic before the summer of 2012.

The trams are made up of five sections, with wide gangways, and are based on vehicles already in use in Bergen.