As reported a few weeks ago the latest stage of rail replacement works on Stagecoach Supertram – following on from the last major work some three years ago – are set to begin over the Bank Holiday weekend with Phase 1 seeing alterations to services between Hillsborough and Middlewood.
This stage will see services affected between Saturday 26th May and Friday 15th June with no trams running at all between Hillsborough and Middlewood. This will mean that the Yellow route will be diverted to terminate at Malin Bridge with that terminus receiving the most intensive service it has seen since opening as the Blue route will continue to run to the usual timetable. The Purple route will also remain unaffected in this period.
Dedicated replacement buses will run from Tuesday 29th May but over the Bank Holiday weekend the usual Supertram Link buses which run to Middlewood will instead run to Hillsborough to link with trams. This is because Middlewood Road will be closed to allow for the start of the rail replacement works. Middlewood Park and Ride will also be shut until Friday 1st June.
Ben Gilligan, Director of Public Transport at the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, said: “The tram network has been running now for nearly 25 years. With normal wear and tear over that length of time the tracks need to be replaced to ensure the system continues to run safely. These essential works are a continuation of a project started back in 2013 to replace 22 kilometres of track, and it will increase the lifespan of the Supertram network and help to keep one of Sheffield’s favourite modes of transport moving in the future.”
Further phases of work will follow with the last closures during September.