Article updated 15/02/2024 with update on bus replacement and expected reopening date.
With Manchester Metrolink services still being affected by a broken rail at Victoria, another UK tramway reports a “rail break” which has meant that there has been a service change. This time its Stagecoach Supertram who have been impacted with the issue being at Manor Top.
Manor Top is on the Blue and Purple routes and the broken rail means that no trams are able to run any further than Sheffield Station on the way to Herdings Park and Halfway. With Purple route services only starting back at Cathedral this has been completing suspended whilst the Blue route is curtailed.
Until further notice – and no estimate had been offered as to when it may be fixed – the following services will run:
Blue – Malin Bridge to Sheffield Station
Purple – suspended
Yellow and Tram-Train services are unaffected
Valid tram tickets can be used on First and Stagecoach bus services in the affected areas. These include:
- 120 between Halfway, Manor Top and City Centre
- 51 between Charnock, Gleadless Townend and City Centre
- 11 and 1a between Herdings and City Centre
A dedicated tram replacement bus service – BL1 – was introduced from Wednesday 14th February 2024 running between Fitzalan Square and Halfway.
It is expected the rail will be repaired by Friday 23rd February. Supertram’s latest update said: “The work requires specialist 3rd party welders and external preparation of the rail. The materials used to undertake the works on site can also be affected by wet weather conditions.“
Is it no longer possible to reverse trams at Spring Lane? This would at least maintain a service to the residents in the Park District (which is a very hilly area!).
The Spring Lane crossover was apparently decommissioned some years ago.
They could, however, have continued to run trams between the crossover at Gleadless Townend & the Halfway terminus – as has been done on a number of previous occasions when scheduled Rail Replacement work isolated that section of the route.
However on this occasion for some reason they recalled all trams which were on that section of line back to the depot when the fault (which is on the outbound track) was discovered.
They have announced this afternoon that a dedicated Rail Replacement Bus service will operate from Feb 15th, but currently haven’t said for how long that will be necessary.
I did wonder that too. There is a crossover just on the Sheffield Station side of Spring Lane tram stop. Maybe it’s not in use anymore?. They are putting a rail replacement bus on from the start of service on the 15th February, that goes from the Halfway tram stop, following the tram route (or as near as one can get, due the one way systems etc) to Commercial Street in Sheffield city centre, where passengers (customers?!) can then get a tram for the Blue route to Malin Bridge. Details of the bus service – BL1- are online.