The latest update on the well/mine shaft at Birley Lane which has been impacting South Yorkshire Supertram services since the end of August has been released as work continues on rectifying the issue which will hopefully mean that trams can return to Halfway again.
The latest statement says: “We’ve completed the first stage of ground investigations at Birley, including drilling boreholes and using specialist scanning technology to build a picture of the shaft and the surrounding ground.
“This has given us a much clearer understanding of the ground conditions and the area around the shaft that could be affected. Using this information, our engineers have developed plans to build a temporary working platform above the shaft (subject to approval from the Mining Remediation Authority). This will help us to carry out more detailed investigations deeper within the shaft.
“These further investigations are important because the historical information available about the shaft and mine it serves is limited. They will help us better understand what’s below ground, including any voids or underground features, so that we can design the most appropriate long-term solution.
“We’re continuing to make good progress and will provide a further update around timescales and the planned reintroduction of services once the next phase of investigations and design work has been completed.”
In the meantime, Blue route services are being diverted to Herdings Park with the Purple route suspended. Anyone wanting to travel beyond Gleadless Townend towards Halfway is being directed onto a replacement bus service (which has recently been amended to include additional capacity and better connections between tram and bus).