A threat to pedestrians

So, Sheffield Council has carried out its threat to destroy a street's beautiful, mature trees, on the grounds of public safety on the pavements? Very interesting, since the single biggest threat to the safety of pedestrians in Sheffield is, in my opinion, Sheffield Council itself.
Rustlings RoadRustlings Road
Rustlings Road

Over several years now, Sheffield Council has repeatedly shown complete contempt for the public and the law by failing to make provision for pedestrians when carrying out work on the highway – regularly blocking the full width of both pavements on numerous roads across Sheffield, and forcing pedestrians straight out into the carriageway, with no safety barriers to separate them from traffic, and so putting them in serious danger of harm.

If those people are in wheelchairs, blind/partially-sighted or pushing small children in a pram, they are even more vulnerable in such situations.

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It is now time that Sheffield Council is held to account for its behaviour towards the public it is supposed to be serving and protecting.

P Harrison

by email

Laughing stock

As both an enthusiast and a career rail professional (a combination much more common than people think) I’ve watched Network Rail’s lack of progress with the tram-train project with stunned disbelief.

Tram-train has been running in Europe, most notably Karlsruhe, for a quarter of a century, yet NR seem determined to start from scratch and reinvent the wheel.

Deutsche Bahn (German State Railways) should have been involved from the start – they’re the people with all the experience.

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At the very least, NR should have assembled a dedicated engineering team and put them on a plane or Eurostar to see how it’s done.

What makes it all the more surreal is that DB have a consultancy arm with an office across the road in Derby from where I work, even if NR didn’t want to involve them direct. Get the experts in now.

But no, they’re determined to plough their own furrow and waste council tax payers’ money.

“We have our own way of doing things here”.

That should have been kicked into touch long ago.

Other people’s experience is there to be learned from.

Nearly 60 years ago, BR learned about 25kv railway electrification from SNCF in France, so it CAN be done.

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This and other project foul-ups are making Network Rail a laughing stock.

Hence the current derisory tag “Notwork Fail”.

This morning, Rail Technology magazine published an announcement that tram-train is to be built to Glasgow Airport, starting in 2022 and completing in 2025.

Already someone’s posted a comment that this will be before Sheffield – Rotherham.

Need I say more?

Roger Capel (35-year railwayman)

Gleadless