Passengers in Rotherham could be the first in the UK to take a continental-style tram-train under plans announced by the Department for Transport, Northern Rail, Network Rail and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.
Passengers could see tram-trains running between Sheffield and Rotherham on the current freight route from Rotherham and then joining the Sheffield Supertram network at the Meadowhall Interchange.
The trial will assess the environmental benefits, operating costs and technical suitability of the tram-trains as well as testing how popular the vehicles are with passengers. These are the first steps in a process which could lead to more tram-trains operating throughout the UK.
Rail Minister Chris Mole MP announced the plans on a visit to Meadowhall. He said: "Tram-train is a new concept for Britain, but it has already proved a valuable addition to rail fleets on the continent. It provides seamless travel from rural and suburban areas direct into city centres, potentially cutting congestion and offering an alternative to short and medium distance car commuting.
"Adapting tram-train to the UK requires some testing, but while that is underway, people in South Yorkshire will have the chance to experience this new type of vehicle for themselves - and I hope they will tell us what they think of it."
Richard Lungmuss, route director for Network Rail, added: "We still firmly believe that the introduction of tram-train technology could bring real benefits to passengers. It is clear that an area where these benefits could be greatest is in easing congestion around our cities and we look forward to exploring the options to bring the best possible benefit to passengers in the South Yorkshire area."
The project partners are still planning to test tram-trains on the Penistone Line between Sheffield and Huddersfield via Barnsley at a later date after work concluded that, electrically-powered tram-trains are more economically viable for use in the UK than the diesel equivalent which was being proposed for trial on the Penistone line.
Rotherham
Passengers could see tram-trains running between Sheffield and Rotherham on the current freight route from Rotherham and then joining the Sheffield Supertram network at the Meadowhall Interchange.
The trial will assess the environmental benefits, operating costs and technical suitability of the tram-trains as well as testing how popular the vehicles are with passengers. These are the first steps in a process which could lead to more tram-trains operating throughout the UK.
Rail Minister Chris Mole MP announced the plans on a visit to Meadowhall. He said: "Tram-train is a new concept for Britain, but it has already proved a valuable addition to rail fleets on the continent. It provides seamless travel from rural and suburban areas direct into city centres, potentially cutting congestion and offering an alternative to short and medium distance car commuting."Adapting tram-train to the UK requires some testing, but while that is underway, people in South Yorkshire will have the chance to experience this new type of vehicle for themselves - and I hope they will tell us what they think of it."
Richard Lungmuss, route director for Network Rail, added: "We still firmly believe that the introduction of tram-train technology could bring real benefits to passengers. It is clear that an area where these benefits could be greatest is in easing congestion around our cities and we look forward to exploring the options to bring the best possible benefit to passengers in the South Yorkshire area."
The project partners are still planning to test tram-trains on the Penistone Line between Sheffield and Huddersfield via Barnsley at a later date after work concluded that, electrically-powered tram-trains are more economically viable for use in the UK than the diesel equivalent which was being proposed for trial on the Penistone line.
RotherhamImages: kvv.de
The major problem that i can see with this scheme,is that if these trams are planned to run regular through Rotherham Central station on the rail lines,surely this will scupper any plans for more regular train services :IE Airport trains,mainline cross country services to run on these lines as apposed to continueing to run on the other lines through the now closed Masbro Station,basically the train/tram plan is in conflict with the plan to serve Rotherham better with main line trains,the only slution would be to either had a loop to allow slow trams to be passed or to build another station to serve Rotherham at Parkgate on the mainlines or reopen Masbro !
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