An innovative mode of transport designed to make travelling in South Yorkshire easier is to be launched later this month
The UK’s first tram trains – which have been designed to run on both Sheffield’s tramlines and the rail network between Sheffield and Rotherham – will especially be a boost to disabled passengers as they will be able to make a single continuous journey connecting tram stops and conventional train stations.
Its first passengers will board on Thursday 25 October, Tram Train partners Stagecoach Supertram, Network Rail and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), the organisation behind Travel South Yorkshire, have announced.
Three Tram Trains an hour will travel on the Supertram network from Sheffield Cathedral to Meadowhall South, before proceeding over a new section of track linking the tram line to the rail track, called the Tinsley Chord, and on to the national rail network to Parkgate Shopping Park via Rotherham Central station. Journey times will be around 27 minutes from Sheffield cathedral to Rotherham Parkgate, and you can buy tickets from the conductor when you board the service.
The Tram Train pilot will run for two years. During that time customer satisfaction, passenger numbers and reliability will be monitored. If the pilot is successful, Tram Train will continue to run as a local service.
