Tram-trains start on Rotherham line October 25, 2018
South Yorkshire's five-times over budget tram-train service has begun around three years late and as a two-year pilot to see if it brings any actual benefits,but on its first day of public operation one of the tram-trains was in collision with a lorry on part of the existing tram network.
At the end of last year, the building of the scheme to extend tram network services from Meadowhall in Sheffield to Rotherham came in for scathing criticism from the chairman of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee after the National Audit Office had revealed that the cost of the project had risen to £75m instead of the originally agreed £15m budget.
The Department of Transport has, however, awarded £51m to the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive for the two-year pilot. Tram-trains differ slightly from other schemes such as Manchester's light rail scheme or conventional tram lines laid on old rail routes because the specialised tram-trains and conventional trains run on the same tracks. The tram-train service will continue to run if it is successful over the two years.
Passengers are able to travel from Rotherham into some parts of Sheffield city centre such as the Cathedral without changing to tram or walking from the station, but other parts of the centre such as The Moor are not served by a tram in any case. The tram-train route avoids Meadowhall Interchange, where Rotherham rail passengers need to change to reach other parts of Yorkshire and could already change to the tram. The tram-train does, however, use the existing tram route stops such as at Sheffield Arena on a journey of 23 minutes from Rotherham to Sheffield, compared with the train's 15 minutes.
The idea of the pilot is to use the Spanish-built tram-trains, bought three years ago, to run on tram lines and also on lines shared with ordinary trains on the rail network, but the existing tram line network in Sheffield has also had to be upgraded to take them.
The earlier Supertram network between Sheffield and Meadowhall had involved building tracks for conventional trams alongside but segregated from the existing railway line, the new service takes the tram-trains all the way to Rotherham using the train tracks.
As the railway had not been electrified, overhead wires had to be put in place for the tram-trains and a bridge had to be rebuilt to fit the overhead wires underneath.
Lower platforms have been installed for the tram-trains at Rotherham Central station, new signalling has also been installed and depot alterations were made.
The 7 Spanish-built tram trains, delivered back in December 2015, have considerably more dedicated standing capacity than a Pacer train.
What are the differences between tram-train and conventional train?
• Tram-train seats have low backs like bus seats rather than train seats with headrests, but they are arranged with forward, rearward and sideways facing seats.
• Tram-trains are electric rather than the diesel trains which operated on routes where electrification had not taken place.
• Tram-trains operate from lower platforms, usually with a smaller gap than conventional railway platforms.
• Tram-trains can operate like trams around tighter curves, although at low speeds on those bends.
• Tram-trains have full width articulated connections between coaches rather than narrow corridor connections.
• Tram-trains do not have a toilet on board.
What are the differences between tram-train and conventional tram?
• Tram-trains can operate on the different voltage standards used on the tram network and normally used on the rail network, although the Rotherham rail line has now been electrified to the tramway standard.
• Technical aspects aside, a tram-train is essentially a tram rather than a train, designed for easy access short-hop urban travel and with the capacity for a huge number of standing passengers at peak times.
Travel choices between Sheffield, Meadowhall and Rotherham
| Route Sheffield- Rotherham | Frequency | Seats | Journey time | Sheffield nr The Moor | Sheffield nr Castle Square | Sheffield Station | Stops between Sheffield - Meadowhall | Meadowhall Interchange | Stops between Meadowhall -Rotherham | Rotherham Central | Rotherham Parkgate | |
Train | 3 per hour | 102-121 | 14-16 mins | | | | | | | | | |
Tram | 19-21 mins | | | | | | | | | |||
Tram | 26-27 mins | | | | | | | | | |||
Bus (X1/X78) | 10 per hour | 82 | 27-32 mins | | | | | | | | (X) | |
| 3 per hour | 96 (+ 140 standing) | 23 mins | | | | | | | | | ||
(T) - Only a tram-train station at Parkgate
(S) - Meadowhall South / Tinsley only
(B) - Bus timings from near Castle Square
(C) - Time based on best possible train/tram connecting time
(X) - Possible to reach by changing to a different bus service
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