Trams on Stagecoach Supertram can now run between Cathedral and Shalesmoor after the damage caused by a bus colliding with an overhead support pole was fixed but there is still no end in sight to thee overhead issues on the route out to Halfway. Meanwhile, over in Blackpool and it’s a full route once more following the end of the gas mains work on Lord Street in Fleetwood allowing trams to run through to Fleetwood Ferry.
When we last reported on the Stagecoach Supertram issues we had two problems. The second of these happened on Sunday 3rd April at Glossop Road when a non-tram related RTC saw a bus strike and damage an overhead support pole which meant no trams on either the Blue or Yellow routes could run between Cathedral and Shalesmoor. A one tram shuttle service ran on the Blue route from Shalesmoor to Malin Bridge with one tram also running on the Yellow route between Shalesmoor and Middlewood. The damage was fixed to allow a full service on this section to resume from the start of service on Tuesday 5th April.
But the first problem which happened in the Donetsk Way area remains with repairs continuing on the overhead there. This means that no trams can operate beyond Dontesk Way and so the section from there to Halfway remains closed.
As a result services currently running are:
- Blue – Malin Bridge to Donetsk Way
- Purple – Cathedral to Herdings Park
- Yellow – Middlewood to Meadowhall
- Tram-Train – Cathedral to Rotherham Parkgate
There remains ticket acceptance in place on First and Stagecoach 120 bus services in the affected area.
Over the Pennines and to the Fylde Coast and there is now a full service running from Starr Gate to Fleetwood Ferry on the Blackpool Tramway. Services had been curtailed at Fisherman’s Walk since the end of January for gas mains work on Lord Street but with these completed trams are now able to run along the street in Fleetwood to the terminus as normal. This includes Heritage Tram Tours with their Coastal Tour now resuming its North Pier and Tower-Fleetwood Ferry (break)-North Pier and Tower route.
The delayed reopening of the line to Halfway is due to the line crew having to repair the overhead at Glossop Road which was much more urgent to get reopened than that on the blue route.