Sunday 14th June will see the start of additional services running on Stagecoach Supertram with around 80% of the usual service being operated Monday to Saturday. This will see a 15 minute frequency on the Blue and Yellow routes whilst it will be two services an hour on the Tram-Train service.
With the exception of the Blackpool Tramway, the service which has been operating on the Supertram network has been at the lowest frequency of any tramway in the UK with some routes just seeing an hourly service but as more shops open from Monday 15th June a step up in services has now been confirmed.
The revised services from Sunday 14th June will be as follows:
Blue route: Malin Bridge to Gleadless Townend (rail replacement works mean no trams to Halfway)
Monday to Saturday – every 15 minutes for most of the day with a 20 minute frequency from 2100 to end of service
Sunday – every 20 minutes
Yellow route: Meadowhall to Middlewood
Monday to Saturday – every 15 minutes for most of the day with a 20 minute frequency from 2100 to end of service
Sunday – every 20 minutes
Tram-Train: Cathedral to Rotherham Parkgate
Monday to Sunday – two services an hour
The Purple route is suspended due to the current rail replacement works
Of course, whilst an improved service is now running social distancing measures will be in place on the trams, reducing capacity on each individual service. All passengers are advised to allow extra time for their journey and to try and travel at less busy times. As from Monday 15th June government regulations for compulsory face coverings on public transport should also be adhered to.
Tim Bilby, Managing Director at Stagecoach Supertram, said: “Supertram continues to play a critical role in South Yorkshire’s public transport network and we are very proud of the efforts of all of our employees for their work in helping the region to keep moving. We are pleased to be increasing our timetable, offering significantly more frequent services as people start to return to work and retail facilities start to re-open. The safety of our customers and employees remains our top priority. The measures we have in place to support social distancing, and our extensive cleaning regimes, will help to ensure that customers can travel on our trams with confidence. Whilst social distancing remains in place, there will be less capacity on each tram so we would urge people to plan their journey to avoid busier times and allow more time for journeys. Public transport will continue to play a crucial role in the country’s recovery ahead. As well as helping to restart our economy, it is vital in bringing normality back to many areas of our daily lives, keeping families and communities connected and contributing towards a safer, cleaner and healthier region. We will continue to work with our partners in Sheffield on longer term plans to restore our full timetables and capacity.”
Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, added: “I’m glad to see the tram network is increasing its services. This will help enable those who need to travel to do so safely, with social distancing measures in place. As lockdown restrictions are eased by Government and more people return to work and school, the pressures on South Yorkshire’s transport system will grow. I’m therefore calling on people to use common sense and avoid unnecessary travel, to help stop the spread of Coronavirus. People should only use public transport when other methods of travel such as walking or cycling are not possible, so our buses, trams and trains can be used safely by our key workers and those who cannot work from home.”
Meanwhile, whilst not strictly tram related Stagecoach have also confirmed that the popular SL1/SL1A SupertramLink bus services will be reinstated from Monday 15th June. The bus service was axed last month with passengers asked to use the 57/57A to Hillsborough Interchange instead but was met with complaint leading to this reinstatement although Stagecoach say they will be “monitoring passenger numbers”.
* The new timetables can be downloaded from the Stagecoach Supertram website.