Sheffield Supertram & Tram Train news

[JD2168]

This is a thread to discuss development & other things with Sheffield Supertram & Tram Train.

Tram 120 which was in a Sheffield Transport heritage livery has had this replaced with an overall advert for the new Full Monty series on Disney+.

Tram 116 has gained an overall advert for Park & Ride from sites in Sheffield using the Tram.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Tram-train 205 has started running to Parkgate in the last few weeks, after spending all its early career on the “classic” network. So thats only 207 now that hasn’t ventured out to Rotherham.

 

[D365]

Disappointing to lose the ’heritage’ livery. One can only assume that it just happened to be in Nunnery at the wrong moment.

 

[Techniquest]

Ooh this will save me starting a new thread! Tram 105, have I been genned up correctly and it is indeed out of action currently?

 

[JD2168]

Disappointing to lose the ’heritage’ livery. One can only assume that it just happened to be in Nunnery at the wrong moment.

120 has been looking a bit shabby for a while in the heritage livery plus it was in the wrong shade of blue as it should have been Prussian Blue.

 

[ricoblade]

I saw that the mayor metioned trams in his musings but I assume there is nothing concrete, I haven'y even seen any crayoned proposals for e.g. Stocksnbridge or the Sheaf Valley.

 

[TC60054]

Ooh this will save me starting a new thread! Tram 105, have I been genned up correctly and it is indeed out of action currently?

Yes it was the one which was hit by a lorry in summer 2021. It's been up at Brodies now for the last 14 months or so.

 

[Techniquest]

Yes it was the one which was hit by a lorry in summer 2021. It's been up at Brodies now for the last 14 months or so.

Thanks! I won't rush to Sheffield to look for it then, that one is the last of the Duewag (I hope that's right) trams I want. Still 4 of the 399s to get, which shouldn't be overly difficult to do!

 

[davetheguard]

A quick question on Supertram fares if I may?

I'm visiting Sheffield later this month, and fancy a trip up the "new" route to Rotherham & Parkgate. I see that there's currently a £2 maximum fare on Sheffield Supertram, sensibly matching the present England-wide bus fare. Would I be right in thinking that a) this maximum fare also applies to the Parkgate tram-train route; and b) does the day ticket also cover tram-train?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[GardenRail]

A quick question on Supertram fares if I may?

I'm visiting Sheffield later this month, and fancy a trip up the "new" route to Rotherham & Parkgate. I see that there's currently a £2 maximum fare on Sheffield Supertram, sensibly matching the present England-wide bus fare. Would I be right in thinking that a) this maximum fare also applies to the Parkgate tram-train route; and b) does the day ticket also cover tram-train?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Yes, the £2 covers the tram train/any single with-on their network. And yes, the day ticket also covers the tram-train route. The trams have conductors who can offer advise on the best ticket for your needs.

 

[TreacleMiller]

Yes, the £2 covers the tram train/any single with-on their network. And yes, the day ticket also covers the tram-train route. The trams have conductors who can offer advise on the best ticket for your needs.

Use this regularly exactly as you describe.

£2 flat

I saw that the mayor metioned trams in his musings but I assume there is nothing concrete, I haven'y even seen any crayoned proposals for e.g. Stocksnbridge or the Sheaf Valley.

Highly doubt it will happen in the next decade. A neighbour works for the local council team that covers this and the next likely development isnt tram related

 

[johnnychips]

Has anybody any idea what these wooden inserts between the tramtracks are for? They are between Fitzalan Square and the station.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

They look like anti trespass devices to me, although why they wouldn't cover the entirty of the crossing sides is beyond me.

 

[WatcherZero]

They serve two functions, pedestrian deterrent paving and also serve as a contrast surface against people crossing the tracks to make them easier for drivers to see in low light.

 

[JonathanH]

Still 4 of the 399s to get, which shouldn't be overly difficult to do!

Don't you believe it. There were only three 399s out on Saturday. Two on tram train (203 and 204) and one on the rest of the network working the Meadowhall route (206). The other four were on the depot.

It does seem that with only a half-hourly service on the Tram Train, and the current frequencies on the rest of the network, the requirement for 399s is relatively limited.

Are there ever times when the 399 requirement is higher?

 

[Techniquest]

Don't you believe it. There were only three 399s out on Saturday. Two on tram train (203 and 204) and one on the rest of the network working the Meadowhall route (206). The other four were on the depot.

It does seem that with only a half-hourly service on the Tram Train, and the current frequencies on the rest of the network, the requirement for 399s is relatively limited.

Are there ever times when the 399 requirement is higher?

Oh wow, not good. Thanks for the warning, I'll be keeping that in mind. I just looked at my light rail wants list, all 3 of those would have been scores for me.

It does seem an infrequent service on the network, which is a bit of a shame as it's got some good bits to it. I've no plans to be in Sheffield any time soon, but I will hopefully at least cut down my wants list. The benefit for me there is that I can happily combine it with some walking expeditions.

On such a note, is there a walkable route near the Halfway tram line that I can follow at least some/all of the way to Halfway?

 

[TreacleMiller]

They serve two functions, pedestrian deterrent paving and also serve as a contrast surface against people crossing the tracks to make them easier for drivers to see in low light.

Yeah they've been installed a few places on the network now. No idea if they are for "contrast" though, crossings are easy to spot in street light...

 

[davetheguard]

Yes, the £2 covers the tram train/any single with-on their network. And yes, the day ticket also covers the tram-train route. The trams have conductors who can offer advise on the best ticket for your needs.

Use this regularly exactly as you describe.

£2 flat

Great! Thanks for your replies.

 

[tbtc]

On such a note, is there a walkable route near the Halfway tram line that I can follow at least some/all of the way to Halfway?

If you want to walk the (approximate) tram route from the city centre to Halfway then the two main problems are…

1. the viaduct south of Granville Road (to get to Park Grange Road, you’d have to walk along Farm Road, with the viaduct high above you)

2. The section though the East Midlands, where the line runs through the Derbyshire countryside for a short bit between Fox Lane and Birley Lane tram stop (pavement is available on Birley Lane)

Both bits are only a slight detour, you’ll still see trams in the distance, but otherwise you can follow them pretty closely

But if the question was more about “places to go for a walk near the Halfway branch” (?) then I’d recommend either a lap of at least one of the lakes at Rother Valley Park or the former railway line from the western side of Rother Valley Park towards Renishaw etc

Halfway Terminus is close to a big Morrisons for toilets etc, plus bus depots for both Stagecoach (Holbrook) and TM Travel (a depot that First vacated)

 

[station_road]

But if the question was more about “places to go for a walk near the Halfway branch” (?) then I’d recommend either a lap of at least one of the lakes at Rother Valley Park or the former railway line from the western side of Rother Valley Park towards Renishaw etc

Halfway Terminus is close to a big Morrisons for toilets etc, plus bus depots for both Stagecoach (Holbrook) and TM Travel (a depot that First vacated)

And you can take a detour through the delight that is Crystal Peaks shopping centre...

 

[ricoblade]

Why is the "next tram" infrastructure at tram stops so poor?

I was at Midland station this morning and it just scrolls through a list of trams and the minutes they are due but when it gets to "due", no tram turns up and it just disappears off the display. I noticed this at Halfway the other week too.

I returned from the Hillsborough stop and there is no display at all.

Is there any "real time tram" information?

 

[Techniquest]

@tbtc Thanks! Your first answer was on the money, but the other bits are definitely useful to know

 

[Lemmy282]

Why is the "next tram" infrastructure at tram stops so poor?

I was at Midland station this morning and it just scrolls through a list of trams and the minutes they are due but when it gets to "due", no tram turns up and it just disappears off the display. I noticed this at Halfway the other week too.

I returned from the Hillsborough stop and there is no display at all.

Is there any "real time tram" information?

This has been a problem since they screens were installed, they just give the timetable information, it is not in real time and as such mostly useless.

 

[TC60054]

They serve two functions, pedestrian deterrent paving and also serve as a contrast surface against people crossing the tracks to make them easier for drivers to see in low light.

Nothing of the sort. They're there to help prevent a person from falling underneath a tram if someone is to be hit by a tram.

 

[daodao]

But if the question was more about “places to go for a walk near the Halfway branch” (?) then I’d recommend either a lap of at least one of the lakes at Rother Valley Park or the former railway line from the western side of Rother Valley Park towards Renishaw etc

I once used the Halfway line to visit Renishaw Gardens, which were very pleasant in mid summer; it is about 1 mile (albeit on main roads) to the entrance to the Renishaw Hall driveway. I recall that the lady in the ticket booth asked me whether I had come by "car" as there would be an additional charge of extra £1, to which I replied no as while strictly true, I presumed she meant "motor car".

 

[D365]

Highly doubt it will happen in the next decade. A neighbour works for the local council team that covers this and the next likely development isnt tram related

Fixed that for you.

 

[WatcherZero]

Nothing of the sort. They're there to help prevent a person from falling underneath a tram if someone is to be hit by a tram.

Would increase the crush damage by providing a smaller surface contact area just as automobiles have been forced to move away from them over the last couple of decades, a proper drag prevention system would be flat.

 

[90sWereBetter]

I used the Supertram network extensively on Thursday this week, and while I enjoyed the experience, the contrast between this system and Metrolink/Tramlink is night and day. Squint at some of the tram stops in Sheffield, next tram indicators aside, you can almost imagine it's 1994 still.

I'm surprised the Purple Line only sees an hourly service, is this a COVID legacy or is there just not enough demand to Herdings to justify even half-hourly/20 minute frequency?

 

[Trainguy34]

I used the Supertram network extensively on Thursday this week, and while I enjoyed the experience, the contrast between this system and Metrolink/Tramlink is night and day. Squint at some of the tram stops in Sheffield, next tram indicators aside, you can almost imagine it's 1994 still.

I'm surprised the Purple Line only sees an hourly service, is this a COVID legacy or is there just not enough demand to Herdings to justify even half-hourly/20 minute frequency?

Probably the a mix of both, it's always first to get cut but I think it was more Frequent pre-covid

 

[edwin_m]

Has anybody any idea what these wooden inserts between the tramtracks are for? They are between Fitzalan Square and the station.
View attachment 135625

They look like anti trespass devices to me, although why they wouldn't cover the entirty of the crossing sides is beyond me.

They serve two functions, pedestrian deterrent paving and also serve as a contrast surface against people crossing the tracks to make them easier for drivers to see in low light.

Yeah they've been installed a few places on the network now. No idea if they are for "contrast" though, crossings are easy to spot in street light...

Nothing of the sort. They're there to help prevent a person from falling underneath a tram if someone is to be hit by a tram.

...is the right answer.

Would increase the crush damage by providing a smaller surface contact area just as automobiles have been forced to move away from them over the last couple of decades, a proper drag prevention system would be flat.

Trams have a body fairing reaching almost down to rail level. If a pedestrian is struck by a tram at fairly low speed, they may fall down and due to this fairing they should be pushed forwards along the surface until the tram stops, instead of getting under the wheels. However, if this happened on off-street track, part of the body could drop between the rails and the fairing could pass over it. The underrun protection is provided between the rails and on the run-off side of the crossing only, to prevent this happening. If at the start of a section where pedestrians are forbidden, it will be combined with an anti-trespass guard, but that will also be fitted outside the rails.