Whilst the area 2 rail replacement works on Stagecoach Supertram are still continuing – schedule to finish on Thursday 18th July – plans have now been revealed for areas 3, 4 and 5 which will take place between Monday 22nd July and Friday 30th August. Taking place around Shalesmoor, Hillsborough and the University of Sheffield these works will once again see the Blue and Yellow routes operating a revised service with replacement buses also in operation to service the affected areas.
There will be a short gap between the current works (area 2 around Shalesmoor) until the start of the next phase and that is because of the Tramlines festival taking place in Sheffield. As a result it is currently planned that area 2 will end on Thursday 18th July with the area 3 works then commencing on the following Monday (22nd July). A further gap for just over two weeks follows between areas 4 and 5. The three remaining areas of work for 2019 are as follows:
Area 3 – Shalesmoor
Monday 22nd to Friday 26th July
Area 4 – Hillsborough Corner to Holme Lane
Monday 27th July to Friday 9th August
Area 5 – Glossop Road (University of Sheffield)
Sunday 25th to Friday 30th August
Throughout these periods the Tram-Train service will continue to run as planned between Cathedral and Rotherham Parkgate and the Purple route will also run from Herdings Park to Cathedral (albeit with revised timetables) but the Blue and Yellow routes there will be a revised timetable and sphere of operation.
The Blue route will run as follows:
22nd to 26th July: Halfway to Cathedral
27th July to 9th August: Halfway to Hillsborough
25th to 30th August: Halfway to Cathedral
With the Yellow route operating:
22nd to 26th July: Meadowhall to Cathedral
27th July to 9th August: Meadowhall to Hillsborough
25th to 30th August: Meadowhall to Cathedral
Throughout these periods there will be replacement buses across the affected areas to enable passengers to complete their journeys.
Once these three areas have been completed that will be the end of the rail replacement for 2019.