UK's first tram train en route to Sheffield

THE UK’S first tram train vehicle has started its journey to Sheffield from Spain. The fully-constructed, 37m long tram train will make a two week voyage over land and sea from Valencia before arriving in South Yorkshire on 1 December. Passengers in the county will be the first in the UK to benefit from the innovative new tram train, a tram-type vehicle that has the signalling, power supply, control and communication technology to run on both street tram lines and the rail network.
November 25, 2015 Read time: 3 mins

The UK’S first tram train vehicle has started its journey to Sheffield from Spain.

The fully-constructed, 37m long tram train will make a two week voyage over land and sea from Valencia before arriving in South Yorkshire on 1 December.

Passengers in the county will be the first in the UK to benefit from the innovative new tram train, a tram-type vehicle that has the signalling, power supply, control and communication technology to run on both street tram lines and the rail network.

The arrival of the first of seven tram trains marks an important milestone for the two-year pilot scheme, delivered by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), 5021 Network Rail, 805 Stagecoach Supertram, Northern Rail and the 1837 Department for Transport, to see if the technology can be used elsewhere in the UK. The pilot will run for two years while customer satisfaction, passenger numbers, reliability and costs are tested. Tram train will continue to run as a local service if the pilot is successful.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “This is a great milestone in the pioneering tram train project which, when complete, will mean better journeys for passengers in South Yorkshire, as well as helping to boost the economy of the local area and beyond. I am looking forward to seeing the first vehicle arrive in Sheffield next month.”

Speaking on behalf of the project team, SYPTE’s executive director Steve Edwards, added: “Tram train is a first for the UK. The design and planning to make Tram Trains run is a complex operation and we’re delighted this important milestone brings us one step closer to making the scheme a reality.

“Tram train will demonstrate the potential, both locally and nationally, of this new technology to deliver value for money services. It will provide a boost to the regional economy, thanks to improved connections across the region. And, if the pilot is successful, it opens the way for tram trains to be introduced in other parts of the country.”

Part of the major works to make the scheme a reality also includes the electrification of the rail network between Sheffield and Rotherham, building new Tram Train platforms at Rotherham Central and Parkgate, and the construction of a new 160 metre section of track, the Tinsley Chord, linking the tramway to the train line near Meadowhall. Approval by the Secretary of State for Transport to construct the Tinsley Chord was welcomed by SYPTE and Network Rail in November 2015.

Related Content

  • January 28, 2016
    Four UK cities awarded funding to drive green car revolution across
    Four cities have been awarded significant funds to promote green vehicle technology after successfully bidding for a share of a multi-million pot created to support the take-up of plug-in electric cars across the UK. Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced the winners of the Go Ultra Low City Scheme, after the successful cities proposed a number of initiatives to support greener vehicles as part of a government competition.
    Read More
  • March 27, 2012
    EIB to fund new tram lines in Nottingham with $157 million loan
    The European Investment Bank, the European Union’s long-term lending institution, has agreed to provide US$157 over 19 years to enable Nottingham City Council to expand the city’s light rail system with two new tram lines to the south and south west. The new lines will have services every seven minutes between 7am and 7pm and include 28 stops along 17.5kms of track. The project also includes 22 new low-floor trams for the line to link park and ride sites next to the M1 at Clifton and Toton Lane with the cit
    Read More
  • March 27, 2012
    Historic $106 million annual public-private transit agreement
    In a historic and unanimous vote, the Nassau County Legislature, Long Island, New York, has approved a contract with Veolia Transportation to manage the county's bus and paratransit system under a new public-private operating partnership to commence January 1, 2012. The value of the contract is US$106 million annually and makes Veolia Transportation the service provider of four of the top five largest transit contracts in the US, including Nassau County, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and New Orleans. The company won
    Read More
  • December 12, 2012
    EU support for rail improvements in the UK to bring faster travel times
    The European Union is to co-finance a project to electrify a 58 km section of British rail infrastructure with US$6.5 million from the TEN-T Programme. The project, which was selected for funding under the 2011 TEN-T Annual Call, is part of the Railway/road axis Ireland/United Kingdom/continental Europe TEN-T Priority Project 26, and will bring considerable benefits to rail traffic in the area. The project consists of the works necessary to install a 25kV AC overhead electrification line on a 58 km single
    Read More

Highlighted Content