Tram-trains under test on Rotherham line August 18, 2018
Tests are continuing to evaluate tram-trains on the upgraded railway line between the Meadowhall South / Tinsley tram stop and Rotherham for a pilot scheme which is hugely behind schedule and hugely over-budget.
At the end of last year the scheme 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 aim of the scheme was to pilot the use of tram-trains which run off tram lines to share lines with ordinary trains on the rail network.
Wheras 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 idea for taking newly-purchased tram-trains all the way to Rotherham was to actually use 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, which will now have conventional and tram trains, and a new tram-train station has been built alongside the railway at Rotherham Parkgate shopping centre. Once the line is open to the public, shoppers will be able to travel from Meadowhall South, just across the road from shopping centre, to Rotherham town centre and then to the Parkgate shopping centre.
New signalling has also been installed, depot alterations were made and there has had to be a massive programme of relaying rails on the existing Sheffield Supertram network to the specification needed by the tram-trains.
The 7 Spanish-built tram trains are now approaching three years old as the first was delivered in December 2015 when the line was originally expected to be complete.
There is still no indication as to when public services will start, but it seems likely this will now be this year. However, passengers between Rotherham, Meadowhall and Sheffield have a range of other and possibly faster options available until then (see below).
What are the differences between a tram-train and a 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 a tram-train and a 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) | 25 mins | | | | | | | | | ||
(T) - Only a tram-train station opening 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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