The poor old Purple route on Stagecoach Supertram. Every time there are temporary tram shortages it becomes the sacrificial lamb and is either completely suspended or runs an amended service. And that it exactly what has happened this week with trams only running at the start and end of the days.
Due to reduced tram availability – presumably as a result of the recent collision between 110 and 116 at Hillsborough – a revised service was introduced on the Purple route which mainly consisted of a replacement bus in operation.
Between Tuesday 27th and Friday 30th June the 0535 Sheffield Station to Herdings Park and 0555 return to Cathedral ran as normal but then it was a 20 minute frequency bus service (which is actually a better frequency that the trams normally enjoy on a weekday!) through until shortly after 1930. Then from the 1937 Cathedral to Herdings Park and 2002 return it was back to trams for the remainder of the service.
It was a similar pattern on Saturday 1st July except trams ran a bit later in the morning with the final service being the 0926 Herdings Park to Cathedral. The 20 minute frequency bus service then ran until trams resumed from the 1854 Cathedral to Herdings Park.
A normal service was due to resume from Sunday 2nd July.
Surely there are the new trams ready for service now that could cover for the two damaged ones. How long does it take to get a new tram in service. Two years?
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jul/04/sheffield-rotherham-tram-train-budget-nao
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