Tram crash - Shalesmoor - 22/10

[Rivelin6 11]

My experience today:

 

My wife works at Shalesmoor. She heard about the crash and rang to warn me about 9.30am. I decided to walk in to make sure I got to the city centre in time for a physio appointment at Ponds Forge at 3pm.

 

The video screens were in “test” mode at my stop, Leppings Lane, when I reached there at 2.10pm. I told a young woman about the crash and that I thought there were replacement buses. The next 2 stops have no screens including Hillsborough. The travel office is next door to the tram stop so they could just felt tip a notice “Trams not running to… Replacement buses at Interchange. Tickets valid on Stagecoach services.” and tape it up. There were no notices at the tram stop.

 

The next 2 stops have screens showing “No service to Shalesmoor, Malin Bridge and Hillsborough. More info from www….. and Twitter.” I’m now in Upperthorpe where a lot of people have landlines and library web access only – the latest 3G technology is not affordable for many.

 

I reach Shalesmoor around 2.45pm where the battered tram remains with 2 others on. I ask 2 Supertram staff why the screens do not say “replacement buses running”. They say there are no replacement buses – people are being told to use regular services. I was sure I had seen a couple already – maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.

 

In the city centre there are no notices posted at stops – there were none at any stops on the route. Just the rolling screen with the same text I saw earlier.

 

I walk back to Shalesmoor – still the same rolling message on the screen. I am fortunate to get a 57 bus quickly and get off at the Hillsborough shops passing about 6 people standing at Hillsborough tram stop oblivious to their predicament – still no notice up. As I cross the road by the tram stop I see a bus go by marked “tram replacement”. I walk to Leppings Lane and see another tram replacement bus. Arriving at the stop at 16.05 pm I see one of the screens now working and a second message coming up “Tram replacement buses in operation. Or use bus numbers…..” Result ! Only 7 ½ hours after the crash.

 

I have been a tram user for 25 years and stood waiting for trams that were never going to come on many occasions without any information. I have never understood why an emergency plan covering a major service breakdown cannot get printed information up at all tram stops within 60 minutes to 2 hours maximum. It takes just over an hour on foot from Middlewood to city centre and similar to Meadowhall. Two people on foot should be able to get the notices up within 90 minutes – quicker on bikes or in a van. It’s basic legwork but it would work.

Good post but thought the tram had only been running 21 years as that's what the anniversary is about?

[lazarus 68]

I realise it has disrupted people's journeys but the way Radio Sheffield went on about it you would have thought it was death and destruction everywhere, it was just a shunt. If anything really bad happened in Sheffield God knows what Radio Sheffield would do, probably go into meltdown.

[woodmally 10]

I realise it has disrupted people's journeys but the way Radio Sheffield went on about it you would have thought it was death and destruction everywhere, it was just a shunt. If anything really bad happened in Sheffield God knows what Radio Sheffield would do, probably go into meltdown.

 

We have a cm of snow and everything grinds to a halt.

[Paddy 10]

The trams involved are still in situ - anyone know why it's taking so long to get them moved. It looks like a bit of bumper damage to be honest.

[hicksy3 10]

The trams involved are still in situ - anyone know why it's taking so long to get them moved. It looks like a bit of bumper damage to be honest.

 

Good question. I can only speculate, Supertram come across as pretty unprepared.

 

 

Posted from Sheffieldforum.co.uk App for Android

[Vaati 11]

http://www.supertram.com/latestfromsupertram_8235.html?hootPostID=08b63a1eac924cc9284c83728f64562a

 

*** A FURTHER UPDATE WILL BE ISSUED AT APPROXIMATELY 05:30 ON FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER WITH REGARD TO SERVICE ARRANGEMENTS FOR FRIDAY ***

 

Well I'm going to have to get the 5.50am 57 for sure now, just to make sure I can get to work on time because that will be too late for me to leave it to know for sure...

[woodmally 10]

The trams involved are still in situ - anyone know why it's taking so long to get them moved. It looks like a bit of bumper damage to be honest.

 

If you'd read Sheffield Online someone's saying it's something out of a disaster movie and they are all in casualty. Doesn't look it from the pictures.

 

Edited October 22, 2015 by woodmally

[woah 10]

I'm sure they would like to move it as soon as they can since it's losing them money in both ticket sales and in extra effort required to maintain a normal service where they can.

 

From previous posts it sounds like one or both of the trams are stuck in position and need to be lifted in order to move them away which I expect will take some planning, equipment and effort.

[haddy 10]

How many people are going to over exaggerated their symptoms for compo

[chickywiggle 10]

I believe there is intenal damage to the trams which mean they can't be moved until the roads are clear. They aren't planning on running trams to hillsorough and beyond for the rest of the evening.

 

The crash was pretty scary (I was on the front one) and disrupted my journey to and from work.

 

I got to Hillsborough interchange to be told the yellow replacement bus was "just behind" the blue one in (I'm used to walking from Hillsborough so had a I been told it was a wait I'd have walked) ..... 10 minutes later it arrived.

 

The thing with Stagecoach isn't so much the disruption that annoys everyone it's the distinct lack of communication ........... it was as bad last Thursday when nothing was running when I left work.

 

I sincerely hope the rumour about the driver of the cream tram I heard on my way home isn't true - it'll be interesting to see the accident report.

[Funky_Gibbon 42]

Accidents happen and I'll find another way of getting to work tomorrow but I'd really like to know why the 81, 82, 84 and 85 were all missing and left a load of us stood there for ages. It's not like the trams were blocking their route in any way... If the tram service is down it'd be nice for the alternative public transport to at least show up.

[Penistone999 10]

It's just a little nick. I wonder how many claims will come off it?

 

The Ambulance chasers will be rubbing their hands together over this.