How time flies. When I first started visiting Sheffield it was only celebrating it's first birthday.

Anyways, what are peoples opinions on the tram. I quite like it, however I think the routes are very limited. For example, I live on Ecclesall Road and rarely have any need to use it, as there is not a tram line anywhere near where I live. I believe there are plans to extend the routes. Do people think it's worth the disruption that this would cause, for the sake of the system being improved?

Yep, Time does fly. I remember when it was first launched and it was in terrible trouble, losing lots of money month in month out. I was very sceptical about it's future. I'm pleaed it proved me wrong and it's stood the test of time. I hope it continues to prosper and expand.

10 years??

it cant be!!

:o

It would be good if it went to more areas. Saying that though, I wouldn't faNCY ALL THE DISRUPTION OF BUILDING IT WHERE i LIVE.

I agree!

T'would be nice to have the tramlines extended to the city limits, but it's a lot of hassle for residents and a lot of money that the government isn't willing to spend.

I for one think the tram is great. I don't drive though, so I suppose I'm a bit biased. When I first rode the tram (ten years ago - really!?!) I was amazed at how quiet it was. Also, it never had many customers back then. I'm hardly in Sheffield now - has the number of passengers increased?

And I remember having to buy a ticket from the machine, and then going to another machine to get it validated. I was a young 'un at the time - I think it cost 15p to take a ride. They did away with those machines ages ago.

Also, did Supertram paint over it's old grey colour to the white Stagecoach look (with stripey colours) BEFORE selling the trams to Stagecoach? Or did I just make that up in my twisted and confused mind?

Happy birthday,too celebrate i say bring back the old grey/blue livery!!Oh and the validating machines...only joking.

I still have a ticket from the first day of operation it cost a pound,i forgot how expensive it used to be

Remember the old advertising it used to have on the side of the trams,The Supertram,Sit back and relax,which in those days you could as there was nobody else on them!

Originally posted by Pilon
I agree!

T'would be nice to have the tramlines extended to the city limits, but it's a lot of hassle for residents and a lot of money that the government isn't willing to spend.

I for one think the tram is great. I don't drive though, so I suppose I'm a bit biased. When I first rode the tram (ten years ago - really!?!) I was amazed at how quiet it was. Also, it never had many customers back then. I'm hardly in Sheffield now - has the number of passengers increased?

And I remember having to buy a ticket from the machine, and then going to another machine to get it validated. I was a young 'un at the time - I think it cost 15p to take a ride. They did away with those machines ages ago.

Also, did Supertram paint over it's old grey colour to the white Stagecoach look (with stripey colours) BEFORE selling the trams to Stagecoach? Or did I just make that up in my twisted and confused mind?

I now has 11.5 million users a year,standing room only at peak times,well actually you are crammed in like sardines

10 years already!! how time passes!
i like usin the tram its so easy and my son loves goin on it! they should definately extend it tho! x

Originally posted by Andy78
Do people think it's worth the disruption that this would cause, for the sake of the system being improved?

Absolutely, needs to be as integrated into the city as possible to provide a real solution, not just to those like myself fortunate to be on the existing route. I did buy my house specifically as it was on the tram route though :-)

It's really interesting when you look at the old tramway systems though; I've got a book of old tram postcards of South Yorkshire. How much must the Victorians have spent on trams back then??! Surely the technology was even more pioneering and expensive than it is now. Yet they were everywhere, all over South Yorkshire (and the rest of the UK) well into the middle of the 20th century.

There are pictures of lines through Walkley, Crookes, Intake, Hillsborough, Millhouses, even towns like Swinton, and a whole network in Doncaster.

Why is it such a big issue in this day and age when the economy is apparently so fantastic, and with electric trams actually being the technology of 100 years ago, surely something's a miss!

God i remember sat in the sainsburys (or was it saver center) petrol station looking out of the cars rear window and seeing the 1st ever grey/blue tram i was sooo amaized (come on i WAS only 7) id only ever seen somthing similar in blackpool!!

Remember in the early years when you used to have to validate your ticket with those silly machines? What a stupid idea that was.

I remember those machines. Seemed like a very silly idea to me too.

10 years?! I think I've only ever been on a tram 3 times in my life..

They shouldnt have got rid of the original tram network that served all parts of the city and was the envy of many other city's...but praise is in order for Stagecoach for turning round what was an under used,loss making system.

I've got tickets from the first day of service. Think they're collectable at all?

I think Stagecoach should refurbish the trams to mark this anniversary. New coat of paint on the outside and new seat covers inside. They can surely afford it!

Originally posted by dinp
I think Stagecoach should refurbish the trams to mark this anniversary. New coat of paint on the outside and new seat covers inside. They can surely afford it!

I was talking to a conductor the other week,he said they are due to refurbish the trams one at a time in due course.

Originally posted by unners
I was talking to a conductor the other week,he said they are due to refurbish the trams one at a time in due course.

That's good news, did he say when it would start?

The Supertram are planning a refurb of the older stock.

They are also introducing Automated announcements of each stop, and the direction of travel.

Eg, "This is the Blue tram, bound for Halfway, Your next stop on request will be Spring Lane"

"This is the Yellow tram, bound for meadowhall, your next stop on request bill be Infirmary Road"

there will be a different voice for each of the three routes. I took part in some test runs, a couple of weeks ago, to see how audible/understandable they are.

I like them. They are real voices, they are warm and friendly, not "Synthesised".

As I understand it, the work to install this on the trams is currently being done, and they will be in service soon.

PT

Originally posted by Plain Talker
The Supertram are planning a refurb of the older stock.

They are also introducing Automated announcements of each stop, and the direction of travel.

Eg, "This is the Blue tram, bound for Halfway, Your next stop on request will be Spring Lane"

"This is the Yellow tram, bound for meadowhall, your next stop on request bill be Infirmary Road"

there will be a different voice for each of the three routes. I took part in some test runs, a couple of weeks ago, to see how audible/understandable they are.

I like them. They are real voices, they are warm and friendly, not "Synthesised".

As I understand it, the work to install this on the trams is currently being done, and they will be in service soon.

PT

Thats good to hear. Lets just hope they are audible unlike the drivers at the moment if they d annouce the stop. Also lets hope that the info boards do change to show the right next stop as well.

Awwww

Its always fun when you get a joker tram driver who talks to the people on the tram or makes rhymes out of the stop names

The thing I want the most is automated displays at tram stops telling me when the next tram is coming!

Originally posted by RPG
Awwww

Its always fun when you get a joker tram driver who talks to the people on the tram or makes rhymes out of the stop names

The thing I want the most is automated displays at tram stops telling me when the next tram is coming!

Yeah that'd be cool, I'd prefer to see some seats at the stops first though.

Strangely enough there is a kind of bench at the Tinsley stop, where everybody gets off! Seems daft logic don't you think?!

I had left Sheffield for sometime....

How i missed the supertram~!

I think the supertram should extend the service..... It should go more places.

However there should also change the colour of the supertram.... they should change it to a nice happy looking colour......

Aye smashing.Ten years old and still being paid for I believe.

Built for £24m sold for £1m.Brilliant.

Originally posted by Albert Tross
Aye smashing.Ten years old and still being paid for I believe.

Built for £24m sold for £1m.Brilliant.

Another brillant idea sheffield came up with............... not.

i was 10 when the super tram was complete. i remember watching them fill in the hole in the road which i was really upset about (and i never found out what they actually did with the fish)! but i used to use the tram every day when i went to school (i went to all saints), and it used to cost me 10p. i remember when they had the machines and the childs fair went up to 15p. me & my friends found ways of dodging the tram fair & inspector (which i think most kids did). we'd spend out tram money on chocolate and rub the tram ticket with a 10p piece (bus money) and it would then go back through the machine. or we would get on the tram, find out which end the inspector was, go to the opersite end and then by the time we had got to Sheffield Uni/ sheffield train Station stop he would be in the middle. so we'd run off the tram & to the other end of the platform and get on at the other end. that only lasted a year tho, they took the machines out & i got a free travile pass as i'm catholic the year after.

i do like the super tram, its alway clean, frequent and on time (unlike trains) and they're quick too the only reason i dont use them is because they dont come to my area & i dont think they'll come that far either. high green & chap is too far out for them to even think about extending them. if they did i'd use the super tram rather than the bus anyday.

I totally agree and they could also do with destination boards on the side of the trams.


Originally posted by RPG
Awwww

Its always fun when you get a joker tram driver who talks to the people on the tram or makes rhymes out of the stop names

The thing I want the most is automated displays at tram stops telling me when the next tram is coming!

As a newcomer to Sheffield i love the tram system, i guess though i`m lucky to be in Hillsborough where they run.
I use them for work and have to say waits seem minimal, they are warm and comfortable and £7.50 for a week long ticket seems very good value.
That being said if i was a council tax payer from an area not covered i probably wouldn`t be singing its praises so much.

Jamiexxxx

With the markets moving to the Moor, do you think the tramlines will be extended to that area of the city centre? That would certainly kick-start the regeneration there!

You know it makes sense bluebear. They would have gone there if the extensions were built!

They'll expand them eventually, demand will be higher so they'd be stupid not to.

Originally posted by dinp
Yeah that'd be cool, I'd prefer to see some seats at the stops first though.

Strangely enough there is a kind of bench at the Tinsley stop, where everybody gets off! Seems daft logic don't you think?!

Surely everyone who gets off there got on there at some other point in the day? Or am I missing something here?

Originally posted by tslogf74
Surely everyone who gets off there got on there at some other point in the day? Or am I missing something here?

Yes, but there are stops far more deserving of seats than Tinsley, the city centre would be a good place to start.

Originally posted by dinp
Yes, but there are stops far more deserving of seats than Tinsley, the city centre would be a good place to start.

I think that seats should not be placed in tram stops or Bus stops,as all it does is attract gangs of youths so that you cant even stand at the stop never mind sit in it.

The sooner the pte realise this the better.

When you look at the picture of Sheffield the one thing that unmistakably will draw your attention will be...

...yes Supertram!

It looks nice, guess goes too

:D

They should have put tramlines all over Sheffield by now instead of the limited service they offer at the moment.

Originally posted by jackthedog
I've got tickets from the first day of service. Think they're collectable at all?

Sell them on 'ebay'. People buy anything on ebay.

They wont extend the tram anywhere useful because of all the NIMBY's

I welcomed the tram near me, its a godsend!

Came across the BBC's celebration of Sheffield's trams. Includes virtual tram ride (http://www.bbc.co.uk/southyorkshire/fun/virtual_tram/index.shtml). :D

I agree with you RPG the Supertram should be extended out in a variety of directions but the Not In My Back Yard Brigade have far to much sway these days.

The tram is good for sheffield both in terms of peoples perceptions and sheffields economy.

Nottingham, Leeds and other places have both tried to copy the success of the supertram.

Cant wait until the Cablecars get built for the new ski village then sheffield will truly have everything.

Originally posted by jubby
Thats good to hear. Lets just hope they are audible unlike the drivers at the moment if they d annouce the stop. Also lets hope that the info boards do change to show the right next stop as well.

Isn't it just an old tape that says: "The next stop by request will be Meadowhall and Tinsley South"..?

Alex

Originally posted by unners
I think that seats should not be placed in tram stops or Bus stops,as all it does is attract gangs of youths so that you cant even stand at the stop never mind sit in it.

The sooner the pte realise this the better.

Quite agree Unners as an example that spendthrift organisation called the PTE spent thousands on a posh bus shelter with seats at Southy Green by the shops and it very quickly became home to all the local rif raf in the end I think they took the seats out.

Originally posted by the fonz

Nottingham, Leeds and other places have both tried to copy the success of the supertram.

Cant wait until the Cablecars get built for the new ski village then sheffield will truly have everything.

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY SUPERTRAM!

Nottinghams supertrams are successfully running now and look alot cooler than the Sheffield trams on the outside but the interior is all bright yellows gives you headaches and they're not as smooth as ours too, probably because ours are the heaviest in Europe due to all the steep hills they have to climb.

I love the Supertrams definitely one of the best things about Sheffield, love that bright blue and pink Meadowhall Supertram, they should all be decorated with something like this, they look so cool snaking through the city streets.

It is quite funny that Leeds has pumped millions and millions into getting they supertram network up and running over the past two decades and still nothing has happened up there!

Are the cable cars link at the Ski Village ever gonna become a reality?

I seem to be the only one on this forum who is not in favour of extending the supertram in all directions. The assumption that because it works in some parts of Sheffield it will work in all is in my view false.

About two years ago, there were plans drafted to extend the supertram to Dore and Millhouses, with a link to the city to Rotherham, and also to extend it to Ranmoor. This did indeed result in fierce opposition, but it was not the 'nimby' factor which put these plans into (permanent?) abeyance. Rather it was lack of finance and concern about revenue streams.

The building of a supertram requires enormous sunk costs, which can only be recovered over the very long term. Therefore, it is not a viable commercial proposition and can only be done with large government subsidies. In the case of supertram, these are likely to come from three sources, local government, central government and the European Union. The local authorities are currently strapped for cash. The EU would probably provide part of the funding. But the central government basically said no (as they have with proposals put forward by other cities).

A cost-benefit analysis of the likely implications of extending the supertram to Dore and Ranmoor was commissioned by the proponents of the scheme. I read the parts of this document that were made available to the public and found them to be deeply flawed and unconvincing. For example, it talked of the 'regeneration benefits' to Dore and Millhouses of extending the supertram. These areas don't need regenerating. They have never been inudstrial areas and never will be. The report also conceded that the environmental benefits to these areas were in fact minimal.

The fact is that the enormous disruption and environmental damage which would caused to established residential areas such as Dore, Millhouses and Ranmoor would far outweigh any potential benefits. For example, Abbeydale road south is actually quite narrow. Supertram vehicles, weighing 52 tons each, are the largest and heaviest public transport vehicles on British roads. The extension of the supertram to Dore would mean widening the road, meaning the loss of housing on at least one side and also the destruction of mature trees on on side of Eccleshall woods.

Construction firms and associated businesses would certainly benefit from these extensions, but not so taxpayers or even local residents (the demand for these extensions is not coming from them). A much better idea would be to make use of existing transport arteries, such as improvements to the road network and also the rail link from Dore. The irony is however that at the present time, it is probably easier to obtain EU funds for tram extensiions than for train extensions.

Lord Chaverly thats exactly the kind of Nimby attitude that will mean the extensions wont be built, er i wonder where you live.

As for the Trams in Nottingham they do look nice but the turning cirlces on them are to tight in places so the tracks are slowly being worn away.

Sheffield Trams are easily the best.

Originally posted by the fonz
Lord Chaverly thats exactly the kind of Nimby attitude that will mean the extensions wont be built, er i wonder where you live.

As for the Trams in Nottingham they do look nice but the turning cirlces on them are to tight in places so the tracks are slowly being worn away.

Sheffield Trams are easily the best.

You missed my point entirely - I said that the supertram probably won't be extended for financial reasons. Directly or indirectly calling somebody a 'nimby' is in my view a lazy way of avoiding engaging in a reasoned discussion of the intrinsic merits and demerits of the proposal.

In any case, 'nimbyism' is largely a pejorative term for a perfectly understandable and reasonably phenomenon - i.e. local residents wanting their views and interests on taken into account.

Sorry Chavers,

Its a fair enough point than in financial terms the current reports/research dont look to positively on the Supertram in terms of its economic benefit. In its defense this reasearch into its economic viability was carried out only a year after its completion taking into account the huge capital needed for such a project. The more up to date research which will hopefully be carried out this year should greatly improve the chances of the supertram being able to push for more extensions.

As for Nimbys, you are correct they do have a valid point, but the problem is due to them generally being more wealthy and having more political influence thier views are often given more weight than is necessary. It could be argued that their views are short sighted as they only seemed concerned with the direct benifits/disbenifits of such a scheme not indirect ones, which often effect the wider community.

Originally posted by the fonz
Lord Chaverly thats exactly the kind of Nimby attitude that will mean the extensions wont be built, er i wonder where you live.

As for the Trams in Nottingham they do look nice but the turning cirlces on them are to tight in places so the tracks are slowly being worn away.

Sheffield Trams are easily the best.

Oh dear not good news for the Nottinghams trams and they look so nice too

http://www.thetram.net/gfx/features/gallery/trams/tram_6.jpg
http://www.thetram.net/gfx/features/gallery/trams/tram_7.jpg

Supertram owns and I'm proud to be in a city which has readopted this mode of transportation.

It is a pity the tram goes nowehre and comes form nowhere... Even Meadowhall is pointless by tram... Just get a CDR on a train 1.5£ instead of the 2.6£ or whatever for a dayrider on't tram.

Hillsborough, don't care.
Halfway/Herdings/Gleadless, care less !

Dore, Totley, Woodseats, Millhouses, Abbeydale, Beauchief, now we're talking but ain't gonna happen !

Long live the tram (in grey !)

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet

Dore, Totley, Woodseats, Millhouses, Abbeydale, Beauchief, now we're talking but ain't gonna happen !


Don't think extending the tram routes through built-up areas could ever be cost-effective. IMO a better bet would be 'bendy' style buses with supertram style seating and conductors.

You have to face the fact that a supertram route along a suburban traffic corridor will cause years of disruption in the building and ever after, - Hillsborough is a classic example of the consequences.