Stagecoach Supertram

Stagecoach Supertram has been serving the city of Sheffield since 1994 with four tram lines calling at 50 stops

The tram is owned by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, which built the network at a cost of around £240 million. It was opened in stages between 1994 and 1995 and was run by South Yorkshire Supertram (SYSL) until 1997, when Stagecoach bought the concession for £1.15 million that gives it control until 2024.

The tramway is served by eight park and ride sites enabling easy parking for car users wishing to complete their journey by tram. Four sites offer paid for parking and the other three sites have free designated parking.

Railway Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) distributes electricity to trains at 750 volts DC, which is considerably more than the power on most tram systems. Around 14.5 million passengers use the tram every year.

Tram Train innovation 

Tram train vehicles that can operate on both mainline rail and tram tracks rolled out on 25th October 2018, making it possible to make a single journey between tram stops and conventional rail stations.

Three Tram Trains an hour travel on the Supertram network from Sheffield Cathedral to Meadowhall South, before proceeding over a new section of track linking the tram line to the rail track called the Tinsley Chord and on to the national rail network to Parkgate Retail Centre via Rotherham Central station.

The Government funded programme is a partnership between South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), Network Rail, Stagecoach Supertram and Northern Rail to pilot this pioneering technology. The seven Stadler built tram-trains have been in public service since September 2017.

Staff

Around 330 employees maintain and operate the trams from the Nunnery depot.