The second phase of this year’s rail replacement work on Stagecoach Supertram have now been completed with trams now running again between White Lane and Halfway as planned. No sooner were these completed then phase three started with works concentrated on the section between Hyde Park and Woodburn Road on the Yellow route with track also being replaced on the viaduct just beyond Park Square.
As a result of these works a significantly different tram service is being operated until the end of June with all three routes seeing revised services. The following tram services are running:
Yellow Route: Meadowhall-Attercliffe (every 10 minutes at peak times, 20 minutes off peak) and Sheffield Station-Middlewood (every 12 minutes)
Blue Route: Halfway-Malin Bridge (every 12 minutes)
With replacement bus services running:
Meadowhall-Castle Square
Castle Square-Nunnery Square Park & Ride
Herdings Park-Gleadless Townend
You will notice that even on those routes supposedly unaffected by the works either a reduced frequency or, for the Purple route, no service at all is being operated. This is because with the works being concentrated between the Park Square viaduct and Woodburn Road there is no access for trams on the wrong side to the depot and Stagecoach Supertram are trying to keep as few trams as possible stabled away from their home.
To add further to interest Yellow route trams at Sheffield Station are actually using the normally unused platform to the city side of the station entrance rather than the normal city bound platform although this does mean any waiting passengers are getting wet as this has no shelters whatsoever.
As mentioned above these works are due to be completed by the end of June (having started on 27th May) and after their completion there will be a short gap in this years rail replacement. The reason for this gap is because the Tour de France is getting a bit lost and actually starts in Yorkshire this year and transport bosses didn’t want to cause too much disruption. The next stage of works will start in July with the line between City Hall and Middlewood/Malin Bridge closed for works until the middle of September.
110 stands at Attercliffe on a wet Sheffield day preparing to depart back to Meadowhall. It will run wrong line as far as Arena where it will regain the usual line. The 20 minute service only needs one tram.
Yellow route trams running to Sheffield Station from Middlewood are informing passengers where to change for Meadowhall as seen in this image...
...and this image shows the second part of the message. Also note the "Y" in the yellow square.
107 uses the crossover at Sheffield Station as it approaches the other platform where it will start its service.
Rail replacement works underway on the viaduct. (All Photos: Stuart Cooke)