The Croydon Guardian’s campaign to move East and West Croydon stations from Zone 5 to Zone 4/5 has reached the House of Commons.

Rezoning would save commuters hundreds of pounds a year and make the area more attractive to those looking to make Croydon their home.

It would be a huge boost to the area at the same time as Croydon Council’s proposed £9.5bn regeneration and growth package for the borough that could bring in 16,000 new jobs, 9,500 new homes and about 2,000 new businesses.

Go to www.croydonguardian.co.uk/zone4 to sign our campaign petition.

Croydon North MP Steve Reed, who launched the campaign in late October last month, raised the issue as a question to the Under Secretary of State for Transport Robert Goodwill MP in Parliament last week.

Mr Reed said: “I pay tribute to people who have offered support to the Zone 4 Croydon campaign, first and foremost the hundreds of Croydon commuters who were quick to sign a petition in support of making this change that I will, in due course, seek to raise on their behalf with the Mayor of London.

“I am grateful to the Croydon Guardian for its support, and to the leader of Croydon Council, who has personally backed the campaign and intends to seek the formal endorsement of the council within weeks.

“There is real, strong support in Croydon for making this change.

“I trust that we will hear today that the Government will also offer their unequivocal support.”

During the debate in the House he outlined reasons for the change including that the economic benefits to the area would outweigh the cost of rezoning the stations.

However, Mr Goodwill would not commit himself to a yes or no answer and instead said: “It is a matter for Transport for London and the train companies.

“If one of the train operating companies running stations in Croydon wishes to formally propose the change, a number of factors would need to be considered.

“Reducing the cost of travelling from a station reduces the revenue brought in by that station, and that can add up to millions of pounds a year.

“Ultimately, those costs would be covered by the taxpayer. A loss at Croydon might need to be compensated by raising fares elsewhere.”

Go to www.croydonguardian.co.uk/zone4 to sign our campaign petition.