The Department for Transport have given the green light for the introduction of tram-trains between Sheffield and Rotherham. This is a pilot scheme for tram-trains in the UK to see whether they can as much of a success here as they have been on the continent. It is planned the first tram-train services will run in 2015.
The route selected for the pilot is between Sheffield and Rotherham Parkgate with three services an hour planned. Services will run from Sheffield City Centre using Supertram tracks as far as Meadowhall South where they will leave the tramway on a newly laid 400 metre stretch of track which will link in with the Network Rail tracks running through to Rotherham. It will also be necessary to electrify the Network Rail tracks to the same standard as Supertram to allow the new vehicles to operate across the network fully.
Seven new trams will be acquired as part of the £58 million project. This not only covers vehicles for the pilot but also for the previously announced Supertram capacity enhancement. A procurement competition led by Northern Rail in 2009-10 identified Vossoloh as the lead bidder for the supply of the vehicles. However as Northern’s franchise
ends before the two year pilot period South Yorkshire PTE will let the trams with Stagecoach Supertram operating them.
Transport Minister Norman Baker MP commented: “Providing better connections between Sheffield and Rotherham’s city centres and residential areas will help to reinvigorate the local economy. It will also encourage people to leave their cars at home, making this pilot environmentally friendly. This is great news for passengers in South Yorkshire and potentially it could benefit people across the country wherever tram and rail networks exist together. Tram Trains have already proven hugely popular on the Continent. Now we will be able to test whether they can bridge the gap between tram and train networks in this country.”
David Brown, SYPTE’s Director General, added: “We welcome the announcement today by the Minister confirming approval of the funding for the Sheffield /Rotherham tram train
project. It is further welcome investment by government in the transport infrastructure of South Yorkshire. The project will provide important enhanced local connectivity and demonstrate the potential, both locally and nationally, of this new technology to deliver value for money services.”
The new service will run from Rotherham’s Parkgate Retail Park to Rotherham Central Station and then onto the Supertram network near Meadowhall (although not serving the shopping centre itself) and onto Sheffield City Centre. It is expected that journey time from end to end will be approximately 25 minutes. Tickets will be fully integrated with Supertram. It is hoped that 35 new jobs will be created by the pilot.
The pilot is a partnership between the DfT and Network Rail, Northern Rail, SYPTE and Stagecoach Supertram. The SYPTE will be leading the project.
The press release on the DfT website states that the core objectives of the pilot are:
- Understand the changes to industry costs of operating a lighter weight vehicle with track brakes on the national rail network
- Determine changes to technical standards required both to allow inter-running of lightweight tram vehicles with heavy rail passenger and freight traffic and to gain the maximum cost benefit from Tram Train operation
- Gauge passenger perception and acceptability of Tram Train
- Determine the practical and operational issues of extending Tram Trains from the national rail network to on-street running
- Understand the technical and operational challenges involved in this project so that the concept can potentially be rolled out elsewhere.
Margaret Kay, Managing Director of Stagecoach Supertram, said: “We welcome today’s announcement and look forward to playing an important role in this pilot. Tram Trains offer us the potential to deliver greener, smarter public transport services to even more people. We have a strong track record of providing high quality, good value services to
the people of Sheffield day in, day out and we are excited at the prospect of being able to expand our services even further through this ground-breaking project.”
The news of the go-ahead for the pilot has also interested Transport for Greater Manchester as they are keen for tram-trains in their region to continue to expand the Metrolink network. Cllr Andrew Fender, the Chair of the TfGM committee, commented: “We’ll be watching Sheffield’s Tram Train pilot very closely as we have begun work to understand whether this technology could be deployed within Greater Manchester. Tram Train could combine the advantages of the better access to the city centre our Metrolink tram system provides with the reach of the rail system into neighbouring districts. It has the potential to both improve public transport for passengers while also making our local rail services more cost-effective.”
The project to introduce official tram-trains to the UK (although some may argue that Manchester Metrolink already operates tram-trains) has been a long time coming with the original pilot going to be on the Penistone line in Yorkshire. This was soon changed to include the Stagecoach Supertram network to the pilot that has now been given the green light.
Finally someone has seen the light! This is such a no brainer!!!!! Why it has taken so long beggars belief! Tram Trains? Tyne and Wear “LRV`s” share track with trains to Sunderland! Manchester Metrolink is a Tram Train and then we have the pleasure of whizzing around the north in our Leyland National railbuses (Pacers) which share routes with heavy and fast express trains! I`m sure this concept could be used to get trams back in Leeds and Liverpool?
No they don’t!
Heavy Rail trains on Network Rail lines and other operations are completely segregated, albeit that they run alongside each other, they do not share the same running rails or power supply. In fact the difference between DC and AC electrification causes ground currents that interfere with signalling – but for God’s sake don’t tell Thales!
Tram trains is a whole new concept requiring a radical re-think of crash worthiness approval as current light rail vehicles cannot in any way meet Network Rail group standards and there will have to be completely new understandings and derogations to permit this scheme to fly. 2015 will not happen because these issues have not yet been addressed in any way.
Britains Railways use both AC & DC currents. At times such as willesden they join. London Transport use a different DC voltage and the Southwest trains run over and use the third rail. Currents and voltages are not a problem as some modern units use AC motors running on DC current.
As to crash worthiness if the germans and Swiss can run light vehicles on the Main line why can we not try it?
Britains Railways use both AC & DC currents. At times such as willesden they join. London Transport use a different DC voltage and the Southwest trains run over and use the third rail. Currents and voltages are not a problem as some modern units use AC motors running on DC current.
As to crash worthiness if the germans and Swiss can run light vehicles on the Main line why can we not try it?
T&W Metro does indeed share tracks with heavy rail on the Sunderland route!!!
Tyne and Wear trams have run on network rail shared tracks for ten years between Pelaw junction and Park Lane junction, Sunderland. I think we can assume they have been a success!
On a healthier note, we an presume this will mean less cars and more park and rides.
Pollution is a significant cause around Meadowhall junctions and near the j34. So a tram is a fantastic concept.