Exclusive:Survey maps as far back as 1877 show well, pump and shaft at site of hole under Sheffield tram track
Work is being done to restore the tram network
Survey maps dating back to the 19th century have revealed that a well or shaft recently uncovered beneath Sheffield tram tracks may in fact be 150 years old.
An ordinance survey map produced in 1877 marks off a small area off Birley Lane where tram tracks now run.
A subsequent map in 1882 identifies this site as a ‘shaft’, before it is described as a pump in 1898 and then later a well in 1939.
However, from the 1950s the site ceases to be marked and is absent from future maps.
On Sunday, August 23, Supertram reported that an infrastructure issue near Birley Lane was causing disruptions to the blue Supertram route, which runs between Halfway and Malin Bridge.
A day later (August 24), South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard - whose office took over Supertram operations in 2024 - revealed that a hole had been uncovered under the tracks which they believed “likely dates back to when the area was used for coal mining.”
“It looks like when this section of the Supertram network was built back in the early 1990s, the track was laid directly over it,” the mayor added.
“As far as we can tell, it wasn't documented in the records we have today, so it’s a bit of a surprise.
“As you’d expect, the most important thing now is making the area safe and fixing it properly. Unfortunately, that won't be a quick repair, but the safety of passengers and staff has to come first.
“We’re now also checking historic records for other potential wells in the area.”
The issue is has cut off a large section of the blue route, with trams now only operating between Herdings Park and Malin Bridge and replacement buses serving stops from Gleadless Townend to Halfway.
In an update on Friday, August 28, Travel South Yorkshire added: “Specialist engineers are working with the Mining Remediation Authority to better understand the nature of the structure, its condition and any impact it may have on the tram infrastructure.
“Detailed surveys are currently being carried out on site, while historic records are also being reviewed to establish more information about the feature and identify whether similar structures may exist nearby.
“The discovery means repairs are more complex than initially anticipated and will take longer than first hoped. While work is progressing as quickly as possible, further investigation is required before a timeline can be confirmed for the return of tram services through Birley Lane.”
Sheffield South East MP Clive Betts has blasted those involved in an open letter to both South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and the Mining Remediation Authority.
He wrote: “Clearly the fault of this lies in the original construction of the tram network. Just how it was not spotted at the time is ridiculous.
“Passenger and staff safety must of course come first, but we cannot see the blue route closed for weeks with no reopening date in site.
“SYMCA and the Mining Remediation Authority must work at pace to solve this and not let my constituents down.
“This may not be their mistake, but they do have to fix it urgently.”