Sheffield Supertram & Tram Train news

[ricoblade]

Even that would be a vast improvement on the bus service.

Agreed, having experienced the "Stockbridge Flyer" 57A and 57 yesterday, what a misnomer!

To other points, surely a tram (train) to Stockbridge would have to connect into the existing tram network, either over the Don somewhere off the Middlewood route and/or back into town around Woodburn Road.

 

[Iskra]

Agreed, having experienced the "Stockbridge Flyer" 57A and 57 yesterday, what a misnomer!

To other points, surely a tram (train) to Stockbridge would have to connect into the existing tram network, either over the Don somewhere off the Middlewood route and/or back into town around Woodburn Road.

If it was diesel, a Stocksbridge-Barrow Hill route would run right past the tram depot so a simple connection there would work. I don’t see why it couldn’t run in addition, rather than as part of the current network and this way would require no vast infrastructure projects.

 

[GardenRail]

If it was diesel, a Stocksbridge-Barrow Hill route would run right past the tram depot so a simple connection there would work. I don’t see why it couldn’t run in addition, rather than as part of the current network and this way would require no vast infrastructure projects.

Exactly. But it will be over thought, over engineered, take another 20 years to plan, and as a result, won't get done. Since it was announced on cancellation of HS2 North of Birmingham, what has been said, nothing. That shows exactly where the project is going.

It's a real shame the good people of Sheffield and Stockbridge aren't kicking off.

Meanwhile in Manchester, extension, extension, extension.

 

[Mat17]

Exactly. But it will be over thought, over engineered, take another 20 years to plan, and as a result, won't get done. Since it was announced on cancellation of HS2 North of Birmingham, what has been said, nothing. That shows exactly where the project is going.

It's a real shame the good people of Sheffield and Stockbridge aren't kicking off.

Meanwhile in Manchester, extension, extension, extension.

True, seems there's more chance of getting the Metrolink extended over Woodhead to Beighton then...

 

[Iskra]

Exactly. But it will be over thought, over engineered, take another 20 years to plan, and as a result, won't get done. Since it was announced on cancellation of HS2 North of Birmingham, what has been said, nothing. That shows exactly where the project is going.

It's a real shame the good people of Sheffield and Stockbridge aren't kicking off.

Meanwhile in Manchester, extension, extension, extension.

It is in the mayors policy manual for Supertram to be extended. Now it's in public ownership, it's probably easier to get things done and harder to blame anyone else if it doesn't happen.

 

[dosxuk]

If it was diesel, a Stocksbridge-Barrow Hill route would run right past the tram depot so a simple connection there would work.

So someone wanting to go to the supermarket in Hillsborough from Stocksbridge would have to go via the City Centre?

It is in the mayors policy manual for Supertram to be extended. Now it's in public ownership, it's probably easier to get things done and harder to blame anyone else if it doesn't happen.

Nothing has changed in this regard - Stagecoach were only the operators, not the owners of the system. Planning and implementing any possible extensions has always been a responsibility of the local government.

 

[Iskra]

So someone wanting to go to the supermarket in Hillsborough from Stocksbridge would have to go via the City Centre?



Nothing has changed in this regard - Stagecoach were only the operators, not the owners of the system. Planning and implementing any possible extensions has always been a responsibility of the local government.

1) The bus would still run. I would also suggest that that is an extremely niche scenario and increasingly so.

2) The optics have changed, local government can no longer use Stagecoach to hide behind.

 

[Mat17]

So someone wanting to go to the supermarket in Hillsborough from Stocksbridge would have to go via the City Centre?

I'm assuming they'd reinstate Wadsley Bridge station, it'd be short sighted not too, plenty of football traffic could be picked up there as well.

 

[dosxuk]

1) The bus would still run. I would also suggest that that is an extremely niche scenario and increasingly so.

Based on the use of the buses I've seen, most people travelling from the Stocksbridge end are wanting to go to the stops around Hillsborough. I would suggest that the number of people who are willing to go to the city centre via Nunnery Square and then change train to get to the city centre is the niche scenario.

2) The optics have changed, local government can no longer use Stagecoach to hide behind.

When it came to extensions, it was always central government that they hid behind. Even if the optics have changed, the financials haven't, which is what has caused the problems in the past. Considering that there are also calls to close the network down rather than do all the heavy maintenance / replacement on the infrastructure and fleet because of the lack of funding available, the chances of any meaningful expansion are pretty much zero.

I'm assuming they'd reinstate Wadsley Bridge station, it'd be short sighted not too, plenty of football traffic could be picked up there as well.

I'm not sure I'd use the word "plenty" - "some" maybe. It again falls over on the problem that it doesn't go via the city centre, it bypasses completely all the traditional Wednesday supporter areas, so you're reliant on those who are already living around the Darnall / Woodhouse stations.

Frankly, if there wasn't already track running up to Stocksbridge, nobody would be suggesting we run a tram up there. There's no business case for it, the line is on the wrong side of the river and it doesn't stop anywhere useful. It often seems like the main reason to run trams up there is so it opens up the possibility of getting to Penistone. Then we could open to Dunford Bridge for the peaks. And if we've got that far, we may as well carry on to Manchester...

 

[Iskra]

Based on the use of the buses I've seen, most people travelling from the Stocksbridge end are wanting to go to the stops around Hillsborough. I would suggest that the number of people who are willing to go to the city centre via Nunnery Square and then change train to get to the city centre is the niche scenario.

They'd get off at (around) Victoria, not double back. The tramline is much more likely to attract different people (probably those nearer the East side of the valley and park and riders at Wadsley Bridge from the A61) and the journey to the centre of Sheffield would encounter less congestion so be quicker and therefore more attractive, so comparing it to the current bus isn't massively relevant.

Anyway, it's a discussion that has been had on here before so a bit pointless continuing as it's just repetition (see other threads). The likely Mayor to be has publicly committed to it, so we'll see what happens, that alone is significant progress.

 

[GardenRail]

I wouldn't worry about any of this. We'll still be talking about these rumours in another 10 years. Its all gone conveniently quiet since the promises made, when HS2 to the North was cancelled. And that's on a project, where the railway already exists. Slowly falling into disrepair and neglect.

 

[Iskra]

I wouldn't worry about any of this. We'll still be talking about these rumours in another 10 years. Its all gone conveniently quiet since the promises made, when HS2 to the North was cancelled. And that's on a project, where the railway already exists. Slowly falling into disrepair and neglect.

It was definitely on the Labour/Coppard flier that dropped through my letterbox last night listed as a top 10 priority.

 

[GardenRail]

It was definitely on the Labour flier that dropped through my letterbox last night listed as a top 10 priority.

Its on every leaflet of every party I guess. It gets votes. Talk is cheap though.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Listing priorities in leaflets is no sure way of seeing these come into effect.

 

[Iskra]

Listing priorities in leaflets is no sure way of seeing these come into effect.

Yes, but as he’s highly likely to win and it could be done relatively inexpensively, it’s going to be a tough one to squirm out of. He probably won’t even be able to use the ‘blame the central government Tories’ as a ‘get out of Jail Free Card,’ either.

 

[zwk500]

Yes, but as he’s highly likely to win and it could be done relatively inexpensively, it’s going to be a tough one to squirm out of. He probably won’t even be able to use the ‘blame the central government Tories’ as a ‘get out of Jail Free Card,’ either.

There's nothing to 'squirm out of'. Promises on election leaflets are not binding commitments. The extension being in the voted-on policy is perhaps more noteworthy but still isn't a binding commitment, but more an expression of intent.

Now it's in public ownership, it's probably easier to get things done and harder to blame anyone else if it doesn't happen.

Being in public ownership doesn't make the planning process any simpler or procurement any cheaper (almost the opposite!), and politicians will still blame everybody else even if it's clear they don't even believe the mud they're flinging (see the current government).

 

[daodao]

Yes, but as he’s highly likely to win and it could be done relatively inexpensively, it’s going to be a tough one to squirm out of. He probably won’t even be able to use the ‘blame the central government Tories’ as a ‘get out of Jail Free Card,’ either.

Stupid proposals put forward in an election leaflet by the winning candidate to entice votes, such as this tram-train route to Stocksbridge, can easily be kicked into the long grass after the election, particularly by local government authorities that have other major pressing demands on their limited funding.

 

[D365]

Listing priorities in leaflets is no sure way of seeing these come into effect.

Leaflets, party conferences, you name it…