Tram-Trains for Sheffield to Rotherham

[redtiger]

Was on 399 205 this afternoon from Cathedral to Meadowhall Interchange and the auto announcement system was talking garbage. As we approached various stops, the announcement correctly stated that "This is a yellow route service to Meadowhall Interchange", but on several occasions as we arrived at a stop, for example Attercliffe, the system announced, "This is a yellow route service to Attercliffe", much to the amusement of the passengers.

 

John

This seems to be the new standard announcement. ie. This is the yellow route service to 'the stop it's already at'. It's even funnier when it says " this is the yellow route service to hold tight please".

Edited August 8, 2018 by redtiger

[JJGraphics]

This seems to be the new standard announcement. ie. This is the yellow route service to 'the stop it's already at'. It's even funnier when it says " this is the yellow route service to hold tight please".

 

 

It was also saying "Hold tight please" after the tram had travelled some distance from the stop.

 

John

Edited August 9, 2018 by JJGraphics

[eastwestdivide]

Quick video of one of the trial/training runs from today, approaching Parkgate beside the canal in Rotherham:

[jamie92208]

Quick video of one of the trial/training runs from today, approaching Parkgate beside the canal in Rotherham:

 

That looks good.   The tram never even wobbled through the pointwork.  Had they sub contracted that part of the contract to Marcway.  

 

Jamie

[eastwestdivide]

In case anyone's interested, a few photos of my whistle-stop tour that took in tram-trains at Karlsruhe and Mulhouse in June are in this topic

[jim.snowdon]

That looks good.   The tram never even wobbled through the pointwork.  Had they sub contracted that part of the contract to Marcway.  

 

Jamie

It must have been built to Scaleseven standards

 

Jim

[eastwestdivide]

En route to and from Doncaster to meet up with Herr Mallard von Retfordhausen today, a couple more shots.

 

Test run passing workers finishing off the platform at Rotherham. 399202:

 

View from a Pacer at Parkgate. The destination reads "Tram Train on Test". 399201:

[eastwestdivide]

A bit of work going on at Rotherham Parkgate, looks like putting in a pedestrian crossing over the service road to reach the shops.

 

 

And two photos from the same spot looking 180° apart.

I'm standing on the left of the photo above, looking at (a) the tram stop and crossing, and (b) the passageway to Parkgate shops (still with a locked gate - there's another, open, passageway which is a public footpath almost opposite the footbridges over the canal and railway):

 

Meanwhile the test runs are continuing, tomorrow with paths starting around 0600 until around 1930, e.g. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C00064/2018/09/17/advanced

which is currently showing as a class 2 "Unadvertised Ordinary Passenger", rather than a class 5 "Empty Coaching Stock" as previously.

 

Maybe a chance to photograph a tram beside a freight if the Stocksbridge steel timings work out.

 

Also, Parkgate has gained a 3-letter station code PAQ, as have all the tram stops out from Sheffield (did they have them before?):

Sheffield Cathedral [sHQ]
Castle Square [CAX]
Fitzalan Square [FIZ]
Hyde Park [HYP]
Cricket Inn Road [CIN]
Nunnery Square P&R [NUR]
Woodburn Road [WOD]
Attercliffe [ATE]
Sheffield Arena [sAI]
Valley Centertainment [VAE]
Carbrook [CAE]
Tinsley Meadowhall [TIN]
Rotherham Central [RMC]
Parkgate [PAQ]

 

[Coryton]

There was many years ago a proposal to create self-driving vehicles that would automatically keep station much closer to the vehicle in front than would be safe if under manual control, effectively forming uncoupled "trains". The driver would resume control at their desired slip road. This idea has been mentioned in the present debate over self-driving vehicles, but only for lorries, not cars. But once self-driving is widely accepted, it is quite possible to see this becoming a reality for cars also. It has huge potential benefits in reducing journey times and accidents, not to mention the potential to vastly increase the capacity of our motorways in the same way that computer control allows trains to run with a much shorter headway than is possible with traditional block signalling. 

 

If there is even a hint of this materialising, I really can't see politicians putting any more money into long distance rail travel. 

 

On the other hand, when the front of a train hits something and comes to an unexpected halt, the carriages behind don't take turns crashing into the one in front. Maybe such cars will need very big external air bags.

[eastwestdivide]

The tram+freight photo plan failed by about 1 minute 30 seconds today. Parkgate/Rotherham Road.

First this (Dewsbury-Hope):

 

Then as it went out of sight, this:

 

A wider shot shows the former Rotherham tram sheds on the other side of the canal:

 

Typical destination at the moment:

 

And a shot from the Parkgate shops access road:

[eastwestdivide]

If anyone's interested who works M-F, realtimetrains is showing the tram-train test trips as running this Sat and Sun. Beware of the Northern strike planned for Sat though.

[eastwestdivide]

Tram-trains doing their thing today (Sunday):

 

Passing the Holmes Chord (foreground) near Booths scrapyard, Rotherham United's New York stadium in the background:

 

A tram-train from Rotherham joining the existing tram network at the Tinsley chord, and about to cross the Don:

The tram line to Meadowhall Interchange goes off to the left, and Meadowhall South tram stop is off to the right

 

And a busy scene taken from the new link road. I'm standing almost underneath the M1 Tinsley Viaduct. A tram-train from Sheffield (left) was being closely followed by a tram for Meadowhall (visible in the distance). The tram-train crossing the junction caused a third tram coming from Meadowhall to stop at the signal. 

When the tram-trains stop on the new Tinsley chord (to switch systems), the Sheffield-end cab pokes out beyond the fence.

Between the two photos above, the MS 01 S tram signal (showing "stop" = horizontal white dots - with one missing) had cleared to "proceed" (vertical white dots) and already gone back to "stop" by the time I took the second picture.

Edited September 23, 2018 by eastwestdivide

[eastwestdivide]

Out this evening, one with the destination showing "Rotherham Parkgate TT", with the TT in the position where the standard trams usually show the route colour code.

The colours look a bit odd on the letters TT. It's probably an effect of shutter speed vs LED flicker/refresh.

 

Also neeee-arly managed to video one crossing the Aldwarke-Stocksbridge steel by Bessemer Way/Magna, but the timings were off by about a minute. Patience.

[eastwestdivide]

Sunday running again today.

 

Passing under the Old Road, substation/supply point on the right:

Edit: they lowered the track under the Old Road bridge - I think you can see why here.

 

Same location (standing on a handy gate), a mast with extra support in the form of a ratchet strap:

(Edit 5/10: there are a few masts like that, including at the Parkgate terminus)

 

Work continues on the new platforms at Rotherham Central, viewed through the 2 fences of the work compound. Access for passengers will be via the heavy rail platforms as far as I know:

 

...where the display is now connected up and displaying messages under the bubble wrap. The time wasn't anywhere near 9pm:

Edited October 5, 2018 by eastwestdivide

[eastwestdivide]

Public launch date set for Thu 25 October:

http://www.sypte.co.uk/media.aspx?id=5955

[eastwestdivide]

Launch info now on Stagecoach's site

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/supertram/tram-train/introducing-tram-train

including a downloadable flyer and timetable.

It's effectively another tram line as far as ticketing is concerned. Normal train tickets not valid.

Sunday service only from ~0900-1800, which is a bit poor.

[Coryton]

Launch info now on Stagecoach's site

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/supertram/tram-train/introducing-tram-train

including a downloadable flyer and timetable.

It's effectively another tram line as far as ticketing is concerned. Normal train tickets not valid.

Sunday service only from ~0900-1800, which is a bit poor.

 

Excuse my ignorance, but does that mean that there will be different services on the same route without inter-available ticketing?

 

Or is it over a line which currently doesn't have passenger service?

 

And I see that it's one of those places where child fares (over 11) are only available with a local pass even if they can prove their age otherwise.

[jamie92208]

Excuse my ignorance, but does that mean that there will be different services on the same route without inter-available ticketing?

 

Or is it over a line which currently doesn't have passenger service?

 

And I see that it's one of those places where child fares (over 11) are only available with a local pass even if they can prove their age otherwise.

I don't think that the Tram Train actually does travel between any National Rail stations so in effect it's a new connection to Sheffield city centre from Rotherham Parkgate. I suppose it would be possible to do Rotherham to Sheffield Midland tram stop but it would take an age to do compared to a train with possibly one stop at Meadowhall.

 

Jamie

[eastwestdivide]

Excuse my ignorance, but does that mean that there will be different services on the same route without inter-available ticketing?

 

Or is it over a line which currently doesn't have passenger service?

 

And I see that it's one of those places where child fares (over 11) are only available with a local pass even if they can prove their age otherwise.

As Jamie said, the only shared station is Rotherham Central, so there will be different services from the same station (Rotherham C) to the same city (Sheffield), and the new tram-train service won't accept normal rail tickets which are valid between Sheffield Midland-Meadowhall Interchange-Rotherham Central.

The tram-train goes Parkgate-Rotherham Central-Meadowhall South/Tinsley (where it joins the existing tram system, missing out Meadowhall Interchange), and then all tram stops to Sheffield Cathedral (not serving Sheffield Midland).

 

The only interavailable ticket I think would be the SY Connect +, which covers all buses, trams and trains across S Yorks.

Edited October 14, 2018 by eastwestdivide

[eastwestdivide]

Two days to launch day, and after taking all those construction photos, I won't be there to see it!

First trams in RTT are as VAR services:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C00092/2018/10/25/advanced

2A16 0800 Sheffield Cathedral to Parkgate

Unknown service departing on 25th October 2018
Schedule Information
VAR schedule UID C00092, identity 2A16
Runs on 25/10/2018 only
Service code 21591001
Unadvertised Ordinary Passenger
Operational Information
Schedule from ITPS
Timed for 60mph max
Class 399 EMU

 

Returning as:

2A19 0859 Parkgate to Sheffield Cathedral

Unknown service departing on 25th October 2018
Schedule Information
VAR schedule UID C00016, identity 2A19
Runs on 25/10/2018 only
Service code 21591001
Unadvertised Ordinary Passenger
Operational Information
Schedule from ITPS
Timed for 60mph max
Class 399 EMU

 

Then regular services as WTT starting with 2A26 0939 Sheffield Cathedral to Parkgate 

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C00023/2018/10/25/advanced

Edited October 23, 2018 by eastwestdivide

[LBRJ]

Unless I am getting it wrong I can see the ticket arrangements are not quite as good as they could be.

 

It appears one has to buy a separate ticket to travel to Parkgate (or RC) if one is using the (enormously popular )Sheffield Citywide day ticket.

I really cannot see that not causing all sorts of problems when it comes to Sheffielders and parting with money!

[eastwestdivide]

Unless I am getting it wrong I can see the ticket arrangements are not quite as good as they could be.

 

It appears one has to buy a separate ticket to travel to Parkgate (or RC) if one is using the (enormously popular )Sheffield Citywide day ticket.

I really cannot see that not causing all sorts of problems when it comes to Sheffielders and parting with money!

To be fair, I'm not sure a Sheffield Citywide ticket would be valid on bus services outside Sheffield either.

But it's the lack of integration with rail tickets that's annoying me the most: Rotherham now has 6 services an hour to Sheffield - 3 trains, 3 tram-trains. But if you turn up at Rotherham and buy a return to Sheffield for whatever is the "next" service, you only have 3 services an hour to choose from coming back, as whatever ticket you buy isn't valid on the "other" travel mode.

Time will tell I suppose. Integration - we've heard of it.

[eastwestdivide]

Launch day, all's going nicely and then this happens:

Collision between lorry and tram-train at Staniforth Road, the impact derailed the tram-train, no-one seriously injured according to the only source I can find, on the general BBC Yorkshire news feed):

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-leeds-45903894

You might need to scroll down as the story drops down the news feed.

[Coryton]

To be fair, I'm not sure a Sheffield Citywide ticket would be valid on bus services outside Sheffield either.

But it's the lack of integration with rail tickets that's annoying me the most: Rotherham now has 6 services an hour to Sheffield - 3 trains, 3 tram-trains. But if you turn up at Rotherham and buy a return to Sheffield for whatever is the "next" service, you only have 3 services an hour to choose from coming back, as whatever ticket you buy isn't valid on the "other" travel mode.

Time will tell I suppose. Integration - we've heard of it.

 

I suppose it's no worse than plenty of places where you have the same problem with different bus companies operating over the same route.

[4630]

A few photos from launch day.

 

399304 which operated a service from Nunnery Supertram Depot to Rotherham Parkgate conveying attendees to the official opening ceremony.

 

 

 

399203 operating the first public service which started from Sheffield Cathedral.

 

 

 

 

 

399202 which was in public service around Sheffield.

 

 

 

 

Sobering to see that this thread has been running 6 1/2 years and today was the first day of public service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by 4630