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After major works a couple of years ago works are again being undertaken on the tracks along Langsett Road with no service this weekend or next. Does anyone know why? According to posters at bus stops busses are being diverted down Flora Street onto Penistone Road and up Bamforth Street but are actually running normal routes with only tram replacement busses doing the diversion. Posters say busses from Hillsborough towards city centre are unaffected but are actually not stopping at some stops due to Supertram placement of traffic lights. Total chaos!

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One would guess that the work was not planned properly or badly carried out

 

As for the communication I have long given up expecting Stagecoach supertram or the PTE to do a halfway decent job

 

 

 

Once again I notice that Stagecoach do not provide a through service with the tramlink bus a pity because Matt Davies when he was MD of the Stagecoach buses here did respond and run them through during the disruption last time

Edited by Bigal1

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The works are to repair weld pits, not the actual rail. I don’t know but I suspect the workmanship and/or materials weren’t up to the job. 
 

As for buses, the Y1 (and BL1, 2 & 3 for that matter) are tendered services, funded by SYPTE and they have to run exactly as tendered in the contract with the SYPTE.  Unlike in years gone by, this time Supertram have no involvement at all in the buses and that includes the route, timetable, customer information etc. It’s pure coincidence that Stagecoach run the current services (the Y1 was originally meant to be operated by Powell’s when works were just Sundays).

Edited by pushtotalk

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11 hours ago, Bigal1 said:

One would guess that the work was not planned properly or badly carried out

 

As for the communication I have long given up expecting Stagecoach supertram or the PTE to do a halfway decent job

 

With the road dug up I am curious how the buses that normally run from the interchange down Infirmary road are unaffected

 

Once again I notice that Stagecoach do not provide a through service with the tramlink bus a pity because Matt Davies when he was MD of the Stagecoach buses here did respond and run them through during the disruption last time

Only the City to Hillsborough side is being worked on this weekend, perhaps the other side will be done next week or perhaps they’ll save that for later on. It just seems that some part of the tram route is always under repair

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11 hours ago, pushtotalk said:

The works are to repair weld pits, not the actual rail. I don’t know but I suspect the workmanship and/or materials weren’t up to the job. 
 

As for buses, the Y1 (and BL1, 2 & 3 for that matter) are tendered services, funded by SYPTE and they have to run exactly as tendered in the contract with the SYPTE.  Unlike in years gone by, this time Supertram have no involvement at all in the buses and that includes the route, timetable, customer information etc. It’s pure coincidence that Stagecoach run the current services (the Y1 was originally meant to be operated by Powell’s when works were just Sundays).

What a shame that the PTE give zero consideration to passengers and do not simply ask Stagecoach bus to quote for the running of through services  that it is possible was shown during the previous close down when in the second part Stagecoach bus responded to my suggestion and ran a through service .  Stagecoach bus have shown in the past a willingness to delay their buses to allow tram passengers to connect (within reason) if supertram inform them of a late running tram as long as it will not result in it missing the connection when it returns whereas the PTE /supertram mandate departure even when the arriving bus is in view because they do not give a .......about passengers

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20 minutes ago, Bigal1 said:

What a shame that the PTE give zero consideration to passengers and do not simply ask Stagecoach bus to quote for the running of through services  that it is possible was shown during the previous close down when in the second part Stagecoach bus responded to my suggestion and ran a through service .  Stagecoach bus have shown in the past a willingness to delay their buses to allow tram passengers to connect (within reason) if supertram inform them of a late running tram as long as it will not result in it missing the connection when it returns whereas the PTE /supertram mandate departure even when the arriving bus is in view because they do not give a .......about passengers

That is because in previous years Supertram have paid for the replacement buses. This year, Supertram refused to pay and after a few weeks with no bus replacement at Halfway, the PTE stepped in and provided funding for the BL2 service, which Powell's won the tender for.

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Why the change. One would have thought that the contract was clear that if there were no trams either the PTE or Stagecoach were to pay for a replacement service

 

It took quite a bit of persuasion on my part to finally convince the bus part of Stagecoach to run the service through in times of planned  tram suspension  and as far as I am aware there were no significant issues but there is a new MD (Stagecoach Bus) and he may not be as customer orientated and happy to leave it in the "too difficult" folder and happy to let the PTE take the flack - "its not my fault guv we do what we are told by the PTE"

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SYPTE own the track and are responsible for the rail replacement project works. Supertram manage routine maintenance but otherwise just run the trams and aren’t obliged to provide replacement buses, but always have done in the past.
 

They apparently already make a loss and given the COVID situation too, decided not to run buses (again, they aren’t contractual obliged to) so the PTE used Govt funding (that all bus operators and Supertram also use) to provide the buses that have/do run. 

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15 hours ago, pushtotalk said:

SYPTE own the track and are responsible for the rail replacement project works. Supertram manage routine maintenance but otherwise just run the trams and aren’t obliged to provide replacement buses, but always have done in the past.
 

 

so two fingers to the customers and lets play pass the buck. Yes may well be down to the original contract but lets not forget that when contracts were let with train companies to run trains they all had an obligation on the train company to provide replacement buses when engineering works stopped the trains. 

 

OK in this case it is the responsibility of the PTE to provide and pay but with any consideration for the consumer and they would have asked for Stagecoach bus to run an integrated service after all with advance notice and planing I am sure this could have been cost effectively procured

 

 

 

 

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