Monday 24th May saw further delays on the Stagecoach Supertram network with the issues this time causing the Tram-Train service to be temporarily diverted away from Cathedral and running through to Sheffield Station instead. This meant there was the rare daytime use of south-eastern side of the Park Square junction which usually only sees early morning and evening services operate over it.
Its not known what the issue causing the delays was but for a Tram-Train from Rotherham Parkgate being diverted across Park Square junction to the Station suggests there was some kind of problem between Fitzalan Square and Cathedral. The problems weren’t particularly long-term as services soon returned to the usual route.
Park Square delta junction is well used by trams with the majority running from Sheffield Station into the city centre (or in reverse) on the Blue or Purple routes of from Hyde Park to the city centre (or vice versa again) on the Yellow or Tram-Train routes. The “straight across” route directly between the route to Hyde Park and Sheffield Station is rarely used with just a few early morning and evening services timetabled to run across.
A grabbed shot of 399 204 as it runs from the Blue route line from Sheffield Station across Park Square junction on its way to Rotherham Parkgate (the destination display does state Rotherham Parkgate but unfortunately hasn’t shown up on this shot).
With the photographer having seen a tram use that section of track for the first time he was enthusiastic enough to see it again by getting up from his hotel at 0507 to see 399 206 heading out to Halfway on the Blue route the following morning. Now that’s dedication! The line to the left is that which runs across the bowstring bridge. (Both Photographs by Jim Smythe)