The Sheffield Supertram is a
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
and
tram-train
A tram-train is a type of light rail vehicle that meets the standards of a light rail system (usually an urban street running tramway), but which also meets national mainline standards permitting operation alongside mainline trains. This all ...
network covering
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
and
Rotherham
Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
in
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham.
In N ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The infrastructure is owned by the
South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the passenger transport executive for South Yorkshire in England. It is supervised by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, which consists of representatives from the metropolitan b ...
(SYPTE), with
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
responsible for the operation and maintenance of rolling stock under a
concession
Concession may refer to:
General
* Concession (contract) (sometimes called a concession agreement), a contractual right to carry on a certain kind of business or activity in an area, such as to explore or develop its natural resources or to opera ...
until 2024, under the brand name Stagecoach Supertram.
Interest in building a modern tram system for Sheffield had mounted during the 1980s. After detailed planning by SYPTE, the Supertram proposal was approved by
Act of Parliament
Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...
in 1991. Construction of the network, incorporating several existing heavy rail sections as well as new track, was carried out in sections, allowing revenue services to start during 1994. Early operations, hindered by a complex ticketing system and the initially small coverage area, had disappointing ridership figures.
["Sheffield Supertram’s logical progression"](_blank)
''Rail
Rail or rails may refer to:
Rail transport
*Rail transport and related matters
*Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway
Arts and media Film
* ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini
* ''Rail'' ( ...
'' 9 December 2015 In an effort to turn around the performance, operations were privatised to Stagecoach in 1997, at price of £1.15 million, who took over from South Yorkshire Supertram Limited. After management and operational changes, and further expansion of the system, ridership numbers rose considerably.
From 2008, interest had been expressed in hybrid
tram-train
A tram-train is a type of light rail vehicle that meets the standards of a light rail system (usually an urban street running tramway), but which also meets national mainline standards permitting operation alongside mainline trains. This all ...
operations, which would be able to use sections of the mainline rail network as well as tramways. During 2012 an experimental trial was planned, as this was to be the first deployment of tram-trains anywhere in the United Kingdom. The start of tram-train operations, using a purpose-built fleet of new
Class 399 Stadler Citylink
The Stadler Citylink (known as the Vossloh Citylink until 2015) is a series of tram-trains manufactured by Stadler Rail at its Valencia factory since 2011. The design was introduced by Vossloh España before their takeover by Stadler Rail in 201 ...
electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a numbe ...
s, was repeatedly delayed, but on 25 October 2018, operations of the new tram-train line commenced.
The Supertram network now consists of 50 stations across four colour-coded lines, the Blue, Purple, Yellow and Tram-Train (Black) routes, which connect with local and national bus and rail services and six
park and ride
A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuting, commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, Rail t ...
sites.
History
Background and initial launch
In common with many British cities,
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
used to have an extensive tram network, the
Sheffield Tramway
Sheffield Tramway was an extensive tramway network serving the English city of Sheffield and its suburbs.
The first tramway line, horse-drawn, opened in 1873 between Lady's Bridge and Attercliffe, subsequently extended to Brightside and Tins ...
(1873-1960). This finally closed in October 1960, it then being argued that motorised
bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
es offered superior economics.
The new Supertram network arose from ambitions held by the
South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the passenger transport executive for South Yorkshire in England. It is supervised by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, which consists of representatives from the metropolitan b ...
(SYPTE), which had been assigned the role of public transport coordination in the area.
SYPTE refined an earlier and more expansive light rail proposal to include pre-existing heavy rail alignments, in order to gain the required permissions to proceed,
and deposited several Bills to
Parliament
In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
in 1985–1990 to gain the necessary powers. Financial approval was given by the
Department of Transport
The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The d ...
towards the end of 1990, allowing the £240 million construction of the initial line to commence in 1991.
This line was opened in stages between 1994 and 1995. The first section, located along a former heavy rail alignment to
Meadowhall, opened on 21 March 1994.
The network was operated by South Yorkshire Supertram Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary company of SYPTE established to run the venture.
In the early years, the scheme was viewed by some as a failure; passengers continued using cheaper and more frequent
bus
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...
es, and retailers complained about the disruption caused by the lengthy construction works.
[Vincent, James]
"Sheffield Supertram marks 20-year journey"
''BBC News'' 21 March 2014 The complex ticketing system was also a source of irritation and confusion to passengers.
It became clear that projections for passenger numbers had been overly optimistic, and concern arose that the system represented poor value for money.
The matter of who should bear the cost became an issue.
Review and privatisation
By 1996, the councils backing the Supertram brought in consultants to draw up options to address major operational and managerial problems.
In December 1997, South Yorkshire Supertram Limited was
privatised
Privatization (also privatisation in British English) can mean several different things, most commonly referring to moving something from the public sector into the private sector. It is also sometimes used as a synonym for deregulation when ...
, and sold to
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
for £1.15 million, substantially below the anticipated £80 million that the councils had hoped to raise to help pay off the accumulated debts, leaving several local councils with the long-term debt for the Supertram's establishment. Under the terms of the deal struck by the
Labour
Labour or labor may refer to:
* Childbirth, the delivery of a baby
* Labour (human activity), or work
** Manual labour, physical work
** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer
** Organized labour and the labour ...
government, a reduction in operating costs was achieved, but it was calculated that the people of South Yorkshire were each paying 5p per week for the Supertram, which continued over many years.
Stagecoach acquired the concession for the maintenance and operation of the Supertram network until 2024.
Increasing use - and decline
There were initially plans for Supertram to extend services to a greater area of South Yorkshire, such as lines to
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
and
Doncaster
Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
, but progress has been restricted.
According to ''
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
'', frustration was expressed amongst people outside of Sheffield that they were paying for something they do not use.
However, by 2014 plans to extend Supertram were in various stages of action,
and patronage had gone up, from 7.8 million passenger journeys in 1996/97, to 15.0 million during 2011/12.
The increase in usage was credited to various factors. Industry publication ''
Rail
Rail or rails may refer to:
Rail transport
*Rail transport and related matters
*Rail (rail transport) or railway lines, the running surface of a railway
Arts and media Film
* ''Rails'' (film), a 1929 Italian film by Mario Camerini
* ''Rail'' ( ...
'' pointed towards changes to route patterns, the introduction of onboard conductors, ticket simplification and refurbishment of the trams themselves as having generated greater appeal amongst the public.
Between 2012 and 2017, the number of passengers and operating revenue declined; during 2016/17, the network carried 12.6 million passengers.
Reasons presented for the reduction included the disruptive rail replacement effort across the network, which involved partial closures and the use of buses as temporary replacements, as well as the impact of cheaper
petrol
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
.
New tram-train services
The
tram-train
A tram-train is a type of light rail vehicle that meets the standards of a light rail system (usually an urban street running tramway), but which also meets national mainline standards permitting operation alongside mainline trains. This all ...
extension to
Rotherham
Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
opened on 25 October 2018, using seven new
Vossloh
Vossloh AG is a rail technology company based in Werdohl in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The SDAX-listed group has achieved sales of around €930 million in 2016 with more than 4,000 employees (as of 2017).
Vossloh is a global ...
-built
Class 399 ''Citylink'' articulated
electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a numbe ...
s. Trams operate on
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
's line from Tinsley to
Rotherham station and beyond to the Parkgate shopping centre, where services terminate on a short spur at the side of the railway, after travelling on the Supertram line from Cathedral to Meadowhall South/Tinsley. The station at Rotherham Central is a combined tram stop and railway station, with platforms 1 and 2 at Rotherham Central extended, with the new extensions numbered platforms 3 and 4 respectively. The stop at Parkgate is a single platform terminus. The first test run of the tram-train service (as far as Magna) was performed in the early hours of 10 May 2018, and the first gauging run all the way to Parkgate occurred in the early hours of 5 June 2018.
The existing
Siemens-Duewag Supertram fleet were not upgraded for tram-train operation, so were not registered under
TOPS
Total Operations Processing System (TOPS) is a computer system for managing railway locomotives and rolling stock, known for many years of use in the United Kingdom.
TOPS was originally developed between the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP), S ...
and cannot be used on the line as they lack the relevant
Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
safety systems and
crashworthiness
Crashworthiness is the ability of a structure to protect its occupants during an impact. This is commonly tested when investigating the safety of aircraft and vehicles. Depending on the nature of the impact and the vehicle involved, different crit ...
. The tram-train scheme was first planned to be in service by 2015 but was delayed.
The Class 399 units were built in 2015/16 with the first delivered in December 2015.
Until the completion of the tram-train line, some were used to provide increased capacity on the existing Supertram network. They first entered service on 14 September 2017.
On the opening day of tram-train passenger operations the service was suspended following a road traffic collision on the tram network involving one of the tram-train vehicles. The incident was caused by lorry operated by Ability Handling passing a red traffic light and caused the tram to be derailed. The service has also been suspended twice after faults were found on the Citylink units. The first suspension was on 9 April 2019, when the fleet was withdrawn to undergo safety checks, although service resumed the next day. The service was later suspended again on 14 December 2019, resuming three days later on 17 December. Services have also operated on a reduced frequency several times whilst work has been undertaken on the Citylink fleet.
Potential return to public ownership
On 18 October 2022 the South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard announced that the service will return to public ownership once Stagecoach's operating contract expires in March 2024 alongside a £100 million grant by the central government to modernise parts of the system.
Summary of opening dates
* 21 March 1994: Fitzalan Square to Meadowhall
* 22 August 1994: Fitzalan Square to Spring Lane
* 5 December 1994: Spring Lane to Gleadless Townend
* 18 February 1995: Fitzalan Square to Cathedral
* 27 February 1995: Cathedral to Shalesmoor
* 27 March 1995: Gleadless Townend to Halfway
* 3 April 1995: Gleadless Townend to Herdings Park
* 23 October 1995: Shalesmoor to Middlewood/Malin Bridge
* 25 October 2018: Tinsley/Meadowhall South to Parkgate (tram-train)
Current network
Routes
The South Yorkshire Supertram network is organised around
Park Square and consists of four lines - Yellow, Blue, Purple and Tram-Train (black on maps)
The lines, with termini at
Meadowhall Interchange
Meadowhall Interchange is a transport interchange located in north-east Sheffield, consisting of a combined heavy rail station, tram stop and bus and coach station. The second-busiest heavy rail station in the city in terms of passenger numbe ...
,
Parkgate, Halfway and
Hillsborough, all serve Sheffield city centre and meet at Park Square where a triangular junction was constructed to provide interchange between lines and operational flexibility. A pair of small branches serving Malin Bridge, from
Hillsborough Interchange
Hillsborough Interchange is a bus and tram interchange in Hillsborough, Sheffield. It serves a variety of operators including First South Yorkshire,Sheffield Supertram and Stagecoach Yorkshire, South Pennine Community Transport. It is staffed ...
, and
Herdings Park
Gleadless Valley ward—which includes the districts of Gleadless Valley (Hemsworth, Herdings), Heeley, Lowfield, and Meersbrook—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the southern part of t ...
branch out from two of the main lines.
The Supertram runs from
Sheffield City Centre
Sheffield City Centre (referred to locally as simply Town) is a district of the Sheffield, City of Sheffield and is covered partly by the City ward, Sheffield, City ward of the City of Sheffield. It includes the area that is within a radius of ...
north-west to
Middlewood and
Malin Bridge
Malin Bridge is a suburb of the city of Sheffield, England. It is located at grid reference and stands 2½ miles north-west of the city centre where the rivers Loxley and Rivelin meet. Malin Bridge is only a small district centred on the roa ...
via the
University of Sheffield
, mottoeng = To discover the causes of things
, established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions:
– Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield
, type = Pu ...
and
Hillsborough; north-east to
Meadowhall Interchange
Meadowhall Interchange is a transport interchange located in north-east Sheffield, consisting of a combined heavy rail station, tram stop and bus and coach station. The second-busiest heavy rail station in the city in terms of passenger numbe ...
and Rotherham Parkgate via
Attercliffe
Attercliffe is an industrial suburb of northeast Sheffield, England on the south bank of the River Don. The suburb falls in the Darnall ward of Sheffield City Council.
History
The name Attercliffe can be traced back as far as an entry in t ...
; and south-east to
Halfway and Herdings Park via
Norfolk Park
Park & Arbourthorne ward—which includes the districts of Arbourthorne, Gleadless, and Norfolk Park—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the southeastern part of the city and covers an are ...
,
Manor, and
Gleadless
Gleadless is a suburb and parish[ A Church Near You.](_blank)
Parish Map. within the City of .
The three main
City Centre
A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...
stops are located on one side of a former
dual carriageway
A dual carriageway ( BE) or divided highway ( AE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are ...
, now a single lane and reserved for buses and taxis only. These three stops are served by all routes.
Stops
The tram stops on each of the four routes are as follows:
Frequencies
The off-peak daytime frequencies are:
* Yellow Line - 12 minutes
* Blue Line - 12 minutes
* Purple Line - 30 minutes
* Tram Train - 20 minutes
A reduced level of service was introduced across the Supertram network on 23 March 2020, in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confir ...
. A modified Sunday timetable was in operation, until services were further reduced to hourly on 1 April.
Onward transport links
Stagecoach Sheffield
Stagecoach Yorkshire is an operating division of Stagecoach Group.
It was formed in 2005 to take over the former Traction Group fleets in Yorkshire by Stagecoach Group, which took over Traction from Frank Carter on 14 December 2005; Yorkshi ...
formerly operated the SL1 and SL1a "SupertramLink" routes between the Middlewood terminus of the yellow route and
Stocksbridge
Stocksbridge is a town and civil parish, in the City of Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it lies just to the east of the Peak District. The town is located in the steep-sided valley of th ...
, via
Oughtibridge
Oughtibridge ( ) is a residential village in the north of Sheffield within the bounds of Bradfield civil parish. The village stands north-west of the city centre in the valley of the River Don. The population of the village has increased si ...
. The bus ran at the same frequency as the tram and was timetabled to connect with the tram at Middlewood. Through single, return, day and week tickets were available to allow travel on both Supertram and SupertramLink bus services. On 1 June 2020, Stagecoach withdrew the dedicated SupertramLink bus from Middlewood to Stocksbridge, providing an enhanced service on local bus service 57 from Hillsborough to Stocksbridge in its place.
Rolling stock
Current fleet
Stagecoach Supertram operates the following fleet across the network:
Siemens-Duewag Supertram
The network operates 25 three car trams built by
Siemens
Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad.
The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...
-
Duewag
Düwag or Duewag, formerly Waggonfabrik Uerdingen, was a German manufacturer of rail vehicles. It was sold in 1999 to Siemens with the brand later retired.
History
Duewag was founded in March 1898 as Waggonfabrik Uerdingen in Uerdingen an ...
of
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...
, Germany, in 1992. The trams are 40% low floor design, the vehicles have been specially designed for gradients as steep as 10%. In the 1980s a design choice was taken to create the longest possible vehicle to avoid multiple working which resulted in a design, the third-longest tram design in operation in Europe at the time and the longest in service in the UK until the long
Edinburgh Trams
Edinburgh Trams is a tramway in Edinburgh, Scotland, operated by Edinburgh Trams Ltd. It is a line between St Andrew Square in the New Town and Edinburgh Airport, with 15 stops.
Construction began in June 2008, and after encountering delays ...
were introduced.
Launched in an initial light grey livery, following the awarding of the operating franchise to Stagecoach the trams were reliveried in Stagecoach's corporate livery from 1997. From 2006 the trams were refurbished, and a new dedicated Supertram blue–based livery was launched, with the entire fleet completed in early 2009.
Stadler Citylink (Class 399)
Stadler supplied seven
tram-train vehicles, delivered between November 2015 and November 2016.
[
]
Infrastructure
Track
The network is long, with of track. It features two types of track; tramway track
Tramway track is used on tramways or light rail operations. Grooved rails (or girder rails) are often used to provide a protective flangeway in the trackwork in city streets. Like standard rail tracks, tram tracks consist of two parallel st ...
where either pedestrians or road traffic share the right of way and ballasted railway track
A railway track (British English and UIC terminology) or railroad track (American English), also known as permanent way or simply track, is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, railroad ties (sleepers, ...
when there are no such requirements.
Tramway track consists of a grooved tramway rail set into a concrete base with troughs into which the rails are laid. Most of the track is on-street using 35G-section grooved tram rail, with BS11-80A flat-bottom rail elsewhere. The railway track was supplied by British Steel Corporation
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
Track Products of Workington and laid on sleepers consisting of concrete blocks with steel ties which gives a spring feeling when travelling on these sections. The track is laid on a bed of ballast which in turn rests on a prepared formation. Street crossings are usually laid with grooved tramway rails.
There are some major structures
A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...
. Two viaducts
A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide va ...
carry Supertram onto Park Square (a major road junction in the centre of the city), one of them being a six-span viaduct, the other the bowstring
A bowstring joins the two ends of the bow stave and launches the arrow. Desirable properties include light weight, strength, resistance to abrasion, and resistance to water. Mass has most effect at the center of the string; of extra mass in th ...
steel arch Park Square Bridge
Park Square Bridge, also known as the Supertram Bridge, is a prominent bridge in the City of Sheffield, England. It was constructed in 1993 using a bowstring, or tied arch design. The bridge carries the Sheffield Supertram
The Sheffield S ...
. An underpass takes the tram underneath the busy A57 roundabout outside the University of Sheffield
, mottoeng = To discover the causes of things
, established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions:
– Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield
, type = Pu ...
.
Tram stop design
The Supertram has 50 tram stops, which are generally long and deep and are of a network-wide standard making them easy to understand and use. The design incorporates recommendations made by the Cranfield Institute of Technology
, mottoeng = After clouds light
, established = 1946 - College of Aeronautics 1969 - Cranfield Institute of Technology (gained university status by royal charter) 1993 - Cranfield University (adopted current name)
, type = Public research uni ...
who studied ergonomics for both able-bodied and disabled users.
The platforms are high, with a 1:20 slope. The platform edge comprises a wide light-coloured textured paving with strips of wide edge warning tactile strip. Directional guidance tactile paving crosses the width of the platform to coincide with the tram door locations.
Power supply
Supertram is powered through 12 electric substations and fed through cross-section overhead line
An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as:
* Overhead catenary
* Overhead contact system (OCS)
* Overhead equipmen ...
equipment (OHLE) wire. The substations convert the 11 kV AC supply into supply into the overhead. The 12 substations are situated as follows:
* Blackburn Meadows
* Carbrook
* Nunnery Square
* Park Square
* Arbourthorne
* Gleadless Townend
* Birley
* Crystal Peaks, Ochre Dyke Lane
* Halfway, Eckington Way
* University, Brook Hill
* Langsett Road, Capel Street
* Middlewood
The overhead line equipment depends on the location. If the tracks are close together, central poles with 'steady' arms on each side are used. If the tracks are further apart, poles on either side with span wire are used. With aesthetics in mind, a minimum number of traction poles are used and whenever possible the wire is anchored onto neighbouring buildings, and blended into the structures as far as possible, after talks between Supertram, the City Council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
and landlords.
The contact wires are twin cadmium copper ones, twin wires being necessary because of the high installed power rating of the trams (1megawatt). The regenerative braking
Regenerative braking is an energy recovery mechanism that slows down a moving vehicle or object by converting its kinetic energy into a form that can be either used immediately or stored until needed. In this mechanism, the electric traction mo ...
on the tram feeds current back into the wires.
Depot
There is a single depot, located at Nunnery Square, which occupies former carriage sidings alongside the Sheffield to Lincoln railway line. It was designed and constructed by Balfour Beatty
Balfour Beatty plc () is an international infrastructure group based in the United Kingdom with capabilities in construction services, support services and infrastructure investments. A constituent of the FTSE 250 Index, Balfour Beatty works ac ...
on of land and consists of a three-line workshop building, six stabling sidings, a turning loop, engineers sidings and sundry equipment.
Before the arrival of Supertram, the site was already dedicated to the railway industry. Nunnery engine shed
Nunnery engine shed was a small locomotive depot close to the city centre of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.
History
After gaining running powers over the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway to reach Sheffield, the London and ...
filled most of the site whilst lines of the Midland Railway
The Midland Railway (MR) was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844. The Midland was one of the largest railway companies in Britain in the early 20th century, and the largest employer in Derby, where it had its headquarters. It am ...
, Great Central Railway
The Great Central Railway in England was formed when the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway changed its name in 1897, anticipating the opening in 1899 of its London Extension. On 1 January 1923, the company was grouped into the ...
and London & North Eastern Railway
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...
irrigated the area and served collieries
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
.
Rules of operation
The rules of operation of the South Yorkshire Supertram are similar to those of a traditional railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
. But unlike normal trains, tramways can be operated without signalling, although block signalling is sometimes necessary on single-line sections. The trams are driven on a line-of-sight basis, so that the tram can be stopped if an obstruction is spotted ahead.
The route a tram is to take is computer-controlled. The route is set on a device in the tram before a journey is started, and on approach to junctions, a signal is sent from the tram to a device known as a VIS loop buried beneath the track. This automatically sets the points in the correct direction.
Signals, however, are used to give indications to tram drivers when running on-street and at street crossings. As trams have priority at many places, it was necessary to give them different traffic light phases from motor traffic and therefore different types of indication have to be used from those applicable to motor vehicles. Signal phases for the tramway are specifically modified to account for the length of the tram. The tram signals are usually operated alongside and in conjunction with traffic signals. Signals consist of white lights arranged vertically (for go), horizontally (for stop) and a cross (for caution). Two other light arrangement indicate a point direction at junctions.
File:Tramway signalling - Proceed.svg, Proceed
File:Tramway signalling - Stop.svg, Stop
File:Tramway signalling - Caution.svg, Caution and proceed
File:Tramway signalling - Turning left.svg, Turning left and proceed
File:Tramway signalling - Turning right.svg, Turning right and proceed
File:Tramway signalling - Junction signalling - turning left.png, Points set for left
File:Tramway signalling - Junction signalling - turning right.png, Points set for right
File:Tramway signalling - Junction signalling - stop.png, Points misaligned or not detected
Points indicators are provided at junctions to indicate the route which is set through the points. At junctions where Supertram and train movements can conflict with road traffic, fixed signals are provided in addition to points indicators. A points indicator may only be passed if it displays the correct route indication for the tram concerned and, where fixed signals are provided, if both points indicators and fixed signals are set for the correct route.
Lineside signals give instructions or warnings to tram drivers. To distinguish them from normal road signs, they are diamond-shaped. The most common are speed restrictions, which are in miles per hour. These are particularly necessary on road-running where trams travel along with road traffic.
Fares and ticketing
Prior to the Stagecoach takeover, ticketing was done via ticket machines, provided by Abberfield Technology of Australia. These blue ticket machines dispensed adult single ride tickets, senior citizen concessionary tickets and child concessionary tickets. As well as singles, the machines sold multi-packs at a discount. Fare tables were shown on the machines with the validity of the different prices. To travel, each ticket had to be validated in a yellow machine on the platform. The ticket defined the type of passenger and trip. On validation, an overprint was added, giving the tramstop code, time and date of validation and the point of validation.
As the machines did not dispense change, nearby shop-owners were often asked for change to purchase tickets from the machines. There were also problems with machine reliability. Just prior to Stagecoach taking over Supertram a move was made to remove the ticket machines and begin selling tickets on board using conductors. This change brought two key positives: an improved staff presence on board each tram, and meant that passenger's tickets could be systematically checked.
Stagecoach Sheffield period tickets are valid on the trams and on Stagecoach buses, and period SYPTE tickets covering Sheffield or the whole of South Yorkshire are valid on Supertram as well as buses and trains. Unlike some other tramway and light rail operators in England, Supertram accepts concessionary travel passes issued by any English local authority. PlusBus
Plusbus is an add-on ticket, which can be purchased with National Rail train tickets in the United Kingdom. It allows unlimited travel on participating bus and tram operators' services in the whole urban area of rail-served towns and cities.
H ...
tickets are accepted as well.
In January 2020 the option to pay for a ticket via credit/debit card, along with other contactless methods of payment (such as Google Pay and Apple Pay
Apple Pay is a mobile payment service by Apple Inc. that allows users to make payments in person, in iOS apps, and on the web. It is supported on these Apple devices: iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac. It digitizes and can replace a credit ...
), was introduced to all trams. Up until this point the only payment method onboard was cash.
In October 2020, £2.6million was allocated to Stagecoach Supertram to make up for lost revenue caused by the Coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the com ...
outbreak.
Corporate affairs
Ownership and structure
The system is owned by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the passenger transport executive for South Yorkshire in England. It is supervised by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, which consists of representatives from the metropolitan b ...
(SYPTE), which in turn is controlled by the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is the combined authority for South Yorkshire in England, with powers over transport (public transport and major trunk roads only), economic development and regeneration. It covers a total area of 3 ...
, which consists of representatives from the metropolitan boroughs of Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
, Rotherham
Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
, Doncaster
Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
, and Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
.
Supertram is operated through an exclusive concession agreement between SYPTE and South Yorkshire Supertram Ltd (SYSL), now a wholly owned subsidiary of Stagecoach Holdings PLC. SYSL holds the concession to operate and maintain the network until 31 March 2024.
Business trends
Full financial figures do not appear to be published for the South Yorkshire Supertram; SYPTE produces its own annual accounts, but profit and loss figures for the tram operations are not shown separately.
The key available trends in recent years for South Yorkshire Supertram are (years ending 31 March):
Activities in the financial year 2020/21 were severely reduced by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
.
Passenger numbers
Detailed passenger journeys since Supertram commenced operations in May 1994 were:
Proposed developments
A number of extensions to the Supertram network have been proposed.
In May 2003, the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority announced plans to extend the Supertram network to Hellaby, a suburb of Rotherham
Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
; Dore, a suburb of Sheffield; and Ranmoor
Ranmoor () is a suburb of the City of Sheffield, England. It is an affluent suburb in the Fulwood ward of the city. It mostly developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it features a number of large houses that were built for th ...
, Sheffield. None of these extensions has been built.
In August 2008, plans were announced for the trial of diesel-electro hybrid tram trains on a route via Network Rail
Network Rail Limited is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an "arm's leng ...
tracks to Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
via Meadowhall, Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. As the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. In Barnsley, the population was 96,888 while the wider Borough has ...
and Penistone
Penistone ( ) is a market town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England, which had a population of 22,909 at the 2011 census. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is west of Barnsley, n ...
. The fleet of five tram trains, costing £9 million was expected to be in operation by the end of 2010 with the whole project costing £24 million for the 37-mile route. It was planned that the hourly Northern Rail
Northern Rail, branded as Northern, was an English train operating company owned by Serco-Abellio that operated the Northern Rail franchise from 2004 until 2016. It was the primary passenger train operator in Northern England, and operated th ...
service from Sheffield to Huddersfield via the Penistone line
The Penistone Line is operated by Northern Trains in the West Yorkshire Metro and Travel South Yorkshire areas of northern England. It connects Huddersfield and Sheffield via Penistone and Barnsley, serving many rural communities. Metrocards ( ...
would be scrapped, being replaced by a more frequent tram service with more stops and a faster service due to the trams' more rapid acceleration. Plans were also announced for a second trial between Rotherham Central and Sheffield at the same time.
The Sheffield to Huddersfield plans were later abandoned in September 2009, although the Sheffield to Rotherham route was to go ahead. The initial plan was to use electric vehicles capable of operating on either 750 V DC or , via Rotherham Central to a new station at Parkgate. The scheme was estimated to require £15 million, later revised upwards to £18.7 million to build when first proposed, but was eventually expected to cost £75.1 million. The Rotherham route was originally intended to begin operation in 2015, however this date was put back several times until the October 2018 opening date after a series of delays. Part of the delay was due to the transport secretary failing to approve the building of a 150m (164yd) section of track at Tinsley in a timely manner. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was critical of Network Rail's initial estimates for the cost of modifications to the route calling them, "wholly unrealistic". The PAC also noted that Network Rail and the Department for Transport
The Department for Transport (DfT) is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland that have not been devolved. The d ...
could not provide figures on how much money had been spent on a now cancelled line electrification project. Part of the unexpected rise in the cost of creating the route and the delay was due to the need to demolish and rebuild the College Road road over-bridge next to Rotherham Central station. It was thought that the ballast
Ballast is material that is used to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within a boat, ship, ...
beneath the railway line could have been excavated to provide headroom for the catenary
In physics and geometry, a catenary (, ) is the curve that an idealized hanging chain or cable assumes under its own weight when supported only at its ends in a uniform gravitational field.
The catenary curve has a U-like shape, superficia ...
but this proved not to be feasible.
In 2017, the Sheffield City Region
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is the combined authority for South Yorkshire in England, with powers over transport (public transport and major trunk roads only), economic development and regeneration. It covers a total area of 3 ...
invited public consultation on ''The Sheffield City Region Transport Strategy 2018-2040'' policy document (draft for consultation November 2017) in which it was revealed that only 1% of the population used the Supertram network on journeys to work in 2011.
The number of passengers on the Supertram network increased from 2 million in the 1994/1995 financial years to over 12 million in the 2016/2017 financial years.
There are plans to re-route the tram line from behind Sheffield station to where Sheaf Street is currently located as part of a £1.5 billion plan to redevelop the station and surrounding area.
There are also plans to build a new stop on the Tram Train route outside Magna Science Adventure Centre
Magna Science Adventure Centre is an educational visitor attraction, appealing primarily to children, located in Rotherham's former Templeborough steelworks.
Location
The site used to be home to the Steel, Peech and Tozer steel works (also ...
.
In April 2022, the Sheffield Green Party unveiled their plans for the system, with extensions planned across South Yorkshire.
Accidents and incidents
* In 1995, engineer William Roe suffered severe brain damage
Neurotrauma, brain damage or brain injury (BI) is the destruction or degeneration of brain cells. Brain injuries occur due to a wide range of internal and external factors. In general, brain damage refers to significant, undiscriminating t ...
after his car skidded on wet tram tracks and crashed into a metal pole. Supertram were made to award Mr Roe compensation for failing to ensure that the rails were level with the adjacent road surface, and for the lack of warning signs indicating that the tracks are hazardous when wet. It was reported there were 53 accidents involving Supertram in Sheffield between 1994 and 1997, including two fatalities and 12 serious injuries.
* On 7 March 2003, a man died from serious head injuries after he was hit by a tram whilst lying on the tracks.
* On 27 October 2005, a pedestrian was killed after stepping in front of an approaching tram.
* On 20 September 2008, a 75-year-old woman was seriously injured when she fell and was subsequently struck by a tram while it was arriving at the local tram stop. The woman was removed and transferred to the Northern General Hospital
The Northern General Hospital is a large teaching hospital and Major Trauma Centre in Sheffield, England. Its departments include Accident and Emergency for adults, with children being treated at the Sheffield Children's Hospital on Western Bank ...
, suffering from head injuries, a fractured pelvis, and a broken leg.
* On 22 October 2015, trams 120 and 118 collided at Shalesmoor. This resulted in the two damaged sections of both trams requiring major repairs, whilst the undamaged parts of trams 120 and 118 were put together and painted in a version of the original Sheffield Tramways cream and blue livery to re-create the original 120. Tram 118 returned to service a year later in October 2016.
* In November 2016, teacher Terry Orwin sustained serious head injuries from crashing while riding a bicycle on Langsett Road and being caught by the tram tracks.
* In December 2016, Saleh Qassim Saleh, 81, was killed in a collision with a tram. The driver was charged with causing death by careless driving.
* In June 2017, two trams were involved in a low-speed collision at Halfway.
* In July 2018 a passenger was injured when they were thrown across the tram as a result tram overspeeding at Middlewood Road and then braking suddenly. The impact of the passenger with a door caused the door to open.
* On 25 October 2018, the day the Tram-train service launched, a lorry collided with one such tram at approximately 3.30pm on Staniforth Road, near the Woodbourn Road station, derailing the tram-train. Three people were injured with two being treated on site and one taken to hospital. Initial reports indicate that the lorry pulled across the path of the Tram-train. On 12 August 2019, lorry driver Kevin Hague, 61, of Rotherham admitted driving through a red light at Sheffield Magistrates' Court. The BBC reported, 'In a personal impact statement read to the court the driver of the tram-train said he was thankful he was in one of the new £4M vehicles. They are built to higher crash-worthiness standards as they also run on Network Rail tracks.'
* On 30 November 2018, a car collided with a tram-train at approximately 4.30pm on Staniforth Road.
* On 22 May 2019, a man was hit by a tram shortly after having an argument with two men. He later died on 26 May 2019 and was named as Martin Rigg. A man was arrested on suspicion of murder on 1 June 2019.
* On 23 July 2021, tram 105 was derailed in a collision with a lorry
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construction ...
on Cricket Inn Road. One person was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
* On 11 April 2022, tram 121 crashed into a police van near Leppings Lane. The van driver was taken to hospital with a broken leg.
See also
* Sheffield Tramway
Sheffield Tramway was an extensive tramway network serving the English city of Sheffield and its suburbs.
The first tramway line, horse-drawn, opened in 1873 between Lady's Bridge and Attercliffe, subsequently extended to Brightside and Tins ...
– the original Sheffield tramway system.
* Light Rail Transit Association
The Light Rail Transit Association (LRTA), formerly the Light Railway Transport League (LRTL), is a non-profit organisation whose purpose is to advocate and encourage research into the retention and development of light rail and tramway/street ...
* List of town tramway systems in England
* List of town tramway systems in the United Kingdom
This is a list of town tramway systems in the United Kingdom divided by constituent country and by regions of England. It includes all tram systems, past and present. Most of the tram systems operated on (SG) or track, although there were a sm ...
References
;Notes
;Citations
External links
Supertram website
Stagecoach Supertram at thetrams.co.uk
Collection of Google Earth locations of Stagecoach Supertram stops
(Require
Google Earth software
from the Google Earth Community forum.
Supertram specs
Gallery of Sheffield's Supertram
{{StagecoachGroup
Stagecoach Group rail services
Railway lines opened in 1994
1994 establishments in England
Light rail in the United Kingdom
Tram transport in England
750 V DC railway electrification