There are now seven Citylink tram-train vehicles back in Sheffield once more following the return of 399 204 (in reality two thirds 204, one third 202) after the completion of accident damage repairs. The vehicle had been away in Spain for the best part of nine months after two separate collisions caused damage to the two separate trams which saw one good Citylink tram created from the available sections.
Allelys Heavy Haulage were contracted to transport 399 204 back from Spain with it arriving back in the UK on 17th November before being transported to Nunnery Square Depot where it was unloaded for preparations to take place in order to return the tram to service. It had left for repairs on 21st February 2019 after the damage was deemed serious enough to not be able to be repaired on site.
As mentioned above the tram-train we are describing as 399 204 here is actually an amalgamation of 399 202 and 399 204 and features one section 399 202 (one end) and two sections of 399 204 (centre and the other end). The two tram-trains had been involved in collisions within six weeks of each other in October and November 2018 (for 399 204 this was on the first day of the tram-train service when it was hit by a lorry) and following the second incident the decision was taken to reform the vehicles so as to make one good and operational tram, this has been running since the end of 2018 as 399 202 whilst the other sections were sent off to Spain for repairs.
Now that 399 204 is back in Sheffield it is expected to be prepared for a return to use. When it last ran it was one of the four vehicles which had tram-train wheel profiles but it has been replaced in this category so as to allow the standard service to operate. Currently 201, 202, 203 and 206 have tram-train wheels installed with 205 and 207 able to run on the conventional network. There is nothing to suggest this will change and presumably when it returns to action 204 will receive the normal wheel profiles – but we have been known to be wrong about these things before!