Tram-train bosses apologise for poor service but insist issues have been addressed

An apology has been issued to passengers using the Sheffield to Rotherham tram-train, following weeks of reduced or suspended services.
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But bosses insist the recent issues to have plagued the route have now been addressed.

A full service finally resumed last Monday, January 20 – more than a month after the entire fleet was temporarily withdrawn between December 13 and 17 on the advice of manufacturer Stadler.

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A reduced service had operated since then – with two tram-trains running every hour, rather than the usual three – though there was another brief suspension on Sunday, December 29, due to what operator Stagecoach Supertram described at the time as a ‘safety issue’.

Tram-train bosses apologised to customers, who they said 'have not always received the level of service they should have done over recent months'Tram-train bosses apologised to customers, who they said 'have not always received the level of service they should have done over recent months'
Tram-train bosses apologised to customers, who they said 'have not always received the level of service they should have done over recent months'

No detailed explanation had previously been given for the weeks of disruption, and bosses have so far declined to describe exactly what led to the vehicles being withdrawn, but Stagecoach Supertram and its partners today issued a lengthy apology.

“We are sorry that Tram-Train customers have not always received the level of service they should have done over recent months. On behalf of Supertram, the manufacturer Stadler Rail, SYPTE and Network Rail, we would like to apologise for this,” they said.

As the first in the country to introduce this ground-breaking service, there are always issues that are difficult to foresee and we all continue to learn from this pilot and make improvements for the future.

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“We have all worked closely together to come up with a firm plan with the intention of offering a more reliable service moving forward. As a result of the work that has been taking place over recent weeks, we have now been able of resume our full Tram-Train service, which we are pleased to confirm has been running well for the past week.

“We have proactively carried out an extensive interrogation of the whole fleet, and taken pre-emptive remedial measures identified from this, which should prevent any further issues, like the ones we experienced prior to Christmas.”They added Stadler was providing more maintenance staff in Sheffield to identify and resolve faults more quickly, and Network Rail was working with its partners to improve the railway section of the route.