Skip to main content

Milestone for Northern Powerhouse as UK’s first tram train unveiled

The UK's first ever tram train has been unveiled in South Yorkshire. Vehicles from this government-funded project are designed to run on both the city’s tramlines and the rail network between Sheffield and Rotherham. This will allow passengers to make single journey between tram stops and conventional rail stations from early 2017, once the works are complete. Prior to this, the tram trains will undergo a period of testing, before being introduced on the Supertram network in summer 2016, to provide extra
December 14, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
The UK's first ever tram train has been unveiled in South Yorkshire. Vehicles from this government-funded project are designed to run on both the city’s tramlines and the rail network between Sheffield and Rotherham. This will allow passengers to make single journey between tram stops and conventional rail stations from early 2017, once the works are complete.

Prior to this, the tram trains will undergo a period of testing, before being introduced on the Supertram network in summer 2016, to provide extra services at busy times.

The government is working in partnership with South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), 5021 Network Rail, 805 Stagecoach Supertram and Northern Rail to pilot this new technology in the UK.

The South Yorkshire Tram Train pilot will run for 2 years. If successful, it is hoped that the tram train will continue to run as a local service and stimulate similar schemes in other towns and cities.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “The unveiling of the UK’s first tram train is a major milestone and paves the way for an impressive new fleet of passenger vehicles to come into service from next year. This government-funded pioneering project will help transform travel in South Yorkshire with better journeys and improved connections. It will also boost the economy of the local area and beyond. Good strategic transport links and infrastructure are central to rebalancing the economy, bringing the country closer together and the success of the Northern Powerhouse.”

Related Content

  • June 2, 2016
    Siemens technology supports UK’s first connected road test environment
    Intelligent traffic systems company Siemens has begun working on its latest Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) project, in a collaborative partnership to create one of the most advanced environments for CAV technologies in the UK. Together with nine other consortium members, the UK Connected Intelligent Transport Environment (UK CITE) project will see trials on UK roads as early as next year, following a successful application for funding from the Government’s US%$144 million (£100 million) Intelli
  • May 4, 2016
    Priority boosts ridership and cuts congestion
    Transit priority is proving a win-win in Europe and Australia. David Crawford reports. Technology that integrates with the Australian-originated Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System (SCATS) is driving bus signal priority and performance analysis initiatives on both sides of the world; in its homeland, with a major deployment in 2015, and in the capital of the Republic of Ireland.
  • April 19, 2016
    Spreading the word about Bike Share in the US
    Smart bike share technology and funding policies help bridge the transit gap through the final mile as Andrew Bardin Williams explains. The sharing economy is coming to Portland this summer. BikeTown, the city’s new bike share program sponsored by Nike, will be launched in mid-July with 1,000 bicycles distributed across 100 stations throughout the city. Originally funded by a $2 million federal grant, the program has been boosted by a $10 million sponsorship deal with Nike ensures funding for the next five
  • March 1, 2013
    Integrating ferry transport into smart ticketing
    Transport authorities are increasingly looking to integrate ferry travel into the mix of public transport. David Crawford finds out more. The new A$370m (US$398m) Opal public transport smartcard system being installed by the Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS)-led Pearl consortium in Sydney is geographically the largest in the world to date. The consortium includes the Commonwealth Bank of Australia; Australian retail payment system provider ePay; Australian infrastructure engineering company Downer Group; a