19.04.17
NR completes crucial Sheffield tram-train track connection
Network Rail has reached a landmark point on the delayed tram-train project in South Yorkshire as engineers installed the physical link between the tram and the heavy rail network over the Easter weekend.
The critical piece of track sits at the start of a new 400m section of track, the Tinsley Chord, and will allow services to move from the tram network on to the regular rail tracks seamlessly between Sheffield and Rotherham from 2018.
The news follows testing starting earlier this month as the first count of tram-trains were introduced on to both the tram and train network.
Simon Coulthard, senior sponsor for Network Rail, said the work represented an exciting step forward for the tram-train project which has seen many setbacks and finally set its completion date in February this year.
“Tram-train is an entirely new way of travelling for the UK and will allow us to improve how we meet the needs of the communities and economies our transport networks serve,” Coulthard said.
“This is a challenging project and there is still much to do, including the construction of the tram stops at Rotherham Central and Parkgate and the completion of the overhead line power system.”
He added that the work completed over Easter was a “crucial step forward,” as Network Rail continues to work with its partners to deliver the full tram-train service from Sheffield city centre to Rotherham Central and Parkgate next year.
Stephen Edwards, executive director at South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, added: “The track connection completed at Easter marks an exciting milestone for South Yorkshire’s scheme, and is a significant part of the construction that will turn years of meticulous planning into Britain’s first operational tram-train service.”
In addition, work has also begun on College Road Bridge, another important point in the network, in Rotherham over the bank holiday. The bridge will be demolished and replaced during the late May bank holiday (Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 May) in order to raise it and provide space for the OLE underneath.
To complete the work safely, trains from Meadowhall to Swinton will not stop at Rotherham Central, passengers will be offered a bus replacement service.
Transport authorities across the country, including Manchester’s Metrolink, hope that success with the tram-train pilot in Sheffield could open the door for similar projects on other local networks.
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