After the best part of three (long) months a full service on Stagecoach Supertram is set to return from Friday 19th July after the completion of the area two rail replacement works – although it will only be a three day resumption to help transport people around the area for the Tramlines festival. In preparation for the return of services to Middlewood (Yellow route) and Malin Bridge (Blue route) driver training and testing was well underway on Thursday 18th July.
Whilst trams will be returning to the section beyond Hillsborough for the first time since Thursday 18th April it won’t be a full normal service across the network as to help clear the crowds after the Tramlines event there will be changes to services diverting both the Blue and Purple routes to Leppings Lane. No trams will be running to either Malin Bridge on the Blue route or between Gleadless Townend and Herdings Park at the other end of the Purple route to allow these extra trams to run to Leppings Lane which is the best stop to use for anyone attending Tramlines. Hillsborough Park tramstop will be closed following the conclusion of the event on each day.
This will just be a three day return for services through Hillsborough though as from Monday 22nd July it will be back to the rail replacement work with area 3 kicking off (and running until 26th July) which will mean both the Blue and Yellow route will only be able to run as far as Cathedral.
Although work had finished, on Thursday 18th July Blue route trams were still only running from Halfway to Shalesmoor before using the crossover to head back from where they have come. This view shows 117 demonstrating the move over the crossover with a service for Halfway.
Driver training was also underway on the way to Middlewood and Malin Bridge section with 107 seen here being used for such a purpose. The crossing behind the tram is a notorious scene of many incidents with pedestrians and trams and has now received new bright red surface to try and avoid pedestrians just stepping out in front. (Both Photographs by Stuart Cooke, 18th July 2019)