Croydon could become one of the best places in southern England for a night out within the next 15 years, the borough's mayor has claimed, as he renewed calls for ministers to fix one of the country's worst rail bottlenecks.

Executive Mayor Jason Perry set out an ambitious vision for Croydon's future at the Invest in Croydon conference, saying he wants the borough to become a major hub for conferences, exhibitions, restaurants and nightlife by 2040.

But he warned that the transformation depends on government backing for the long-delayed Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme, which aims to ease congestion around East Croydon station on what Network Rail describes as Britain's busiest rail bottleneck.

The project's supporters argue that unlocking capacity on the Brighton Main Line could pave the way for billions of pounds of economic growth and help Croydon capitalise on the planned expansion of Gatwick Airport.

Speaking at the Invest in Croydon Conference on Thursday, November 12, Mr Perry the improvements could help make Croydon “a destination in our own right”.

“By 2040 I want Croydon to be known as the business events hub of the Thameslink corridor and one of the best places in the South of England for a night out,” he said.

“A town where an international hotel operator can see its next investment and a local chef can see it as the location for their first restaurant. I want people to get off the train in Croydon, because there is history, heart and hustle here.”

However, the Mayor was clear that such an ambition could only be realised if the Croydon Area Remodelling Scheme (CARS) received government backing.

First proposed in 2020, the scheme intends to ease a long-standing bottleneck on the Brighton Main Line in the Croydon area.

In March, Transport Minister Simon Lightwood confirmed the previous government had paused the project in 2022 without informing stakeholders. However, the scheme received a fresh boost in September when the Prime Minister pledged to get it “back on track”.

In a joint letter, Mr Perry and London Gatwick Chief Executive Pierre-Hugues Schmit wrote to Chancellor John Healey to call for the bottleneck to be tackled as a priority.

This move has been driven by the recent green light for Gatwick’s Northern Runway programme, which is expected to create around 14,000 jobs and generate an additional £1bn in economic benefits annually.

The pair, backed by local authorities along the Thameslink route and Croydon East MP Natasha Irons, hope CARS will enable London and the South East to capitalise on Gatwick’s growth.

“Reliable, convenient and affordable public transport is central to our growth and to ensuring that its benefits reach businesses and communities across the region,” said Gatwick’s Schmit. “Addressing the Croydon bottleneck would strengthen a vital connection between Gatwick, London and the wider country.”

Previous modelling has suggested that resolving the bottleneck could free up around £5.1bn in economic value for Croydon over 20 years. Supporters hope CARS will also improve access to other key sites along the Thameslink route, including the London Cancer Hub in neighbouring Sutton and the soon-to-be-built Universal United Kingdom theme park in Bedford.

Mr Perry also stressed the urgent need for improvements, warning that the Brighton Main Line is projected to reach capacity by 2030. East Croydon is a key station on the line and one that handles more trains each day than all the intercity operators serving Euston, King’s Cross and St Pancras combined.

Acknowledging the current bottleneck issues, he said: “A delay at the junction can be felt from Brighton to Bedford.

“If people can’t count on getting to work, or businesses can’t count on customers and staff getting to them, we will miss out on growth. There is pressure on public spending and every project has to earn its place. We should weigh the cost of upgrading the railway against the cost to the country of allowing a bottleneck to hold back investment that is already coming.”