Strong winds blow metal sheet from Sheffield tower block into path of Supertram
and live on Freeview channel 276
The tram hit a panel which had dislodged from a Netherthorpe tower block during strong winds on Saturday lunchtime.
Sheffield Council says it is investigating how the panel became loose and is replacing it as soon as possible.
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Hide AdFormer councillor Peter MacLoughlin, who lives on the 14th floor of one of the tower blocks, says it’s not the first time it’s happened.
Peter, who caught it on camera, said: “I heard what appeared to be loud scraping noises coming from the Supertram tracks and when I looked out of the window, I could see that a tram was struggling trying to move forward.
“It had somehow got tangled with a large heavy metal sheeting underneath the carriage.
“The driver got out and tried to pull the metal sheeting from underneath the tram but couldn’t do it.
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Hide Ad“He went back into the tram and after about five minutes or so got back out of the cab, tried again but was still unable to shift it.
“He got back into the tram cab then reversed the tram back towards the tunnel at Brookhill roundabout. The metal sheeting caught an object on the side of the tram track and managed to dislodge from underneath the tram.
“The driver then got out of the cab and removed the heavy metal sheeting on the side of Netherthorpe ring road and proceeded on his journey.”
Former councillor concerned about safety
Mr MacLoughlin, who has lived in the tower block for 34 years, added: “This is not the first time this sort of thing has happened along Netherthorpe Road.
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Hide Ad“Some years back it was metal sheeting from the tower block cladding due to very high winds. It does beg some real safety questions.”
A spokesman for Stagecoach Supertram said no one had been injured.
“Our driver had to free it and then our infrastructure team came and took it away. No one on the tram was in any danger and there was no damage to the tram. It was a very minor routine operational issue.”