Reduced Frequency On Supertram

[alexander874 17]

From today temporary day time frequency on blue and yellow routes reduced from 12 to every 15 minutes with early finishes on ALL 4 routes, we are told this is  due to  shortage of staff.

[BigAl1 143]

It is a shame that we still see the yellow and tram train trams running nose to tail  on the shared route and not with 6- 8 minute gaps  but of course Supertram don’t care about customers Sure little they can do with the tram train as paths on network rail are not flexible but I am sure with a little thought and effort their timetables (assuming they even have any) could have come up with a more focused customer centric timetable

[alexander874 17]

I think its more important to keep the blue and yellow toward Hillsborough equally spaced and also the blue and purple along City Rd than through the quiet lower Don valley and you can't do both.

 

[pushtotalk 10]

Agree that you can’t space everything when different routes cross paths in different areas; TT mixes with Yellow which mixes with Blue which mixes with Purple, as you say. 

 

The staff issue is a shortage of engineers meaning fewer trams can be made available each day and there’s no cover after midnight so all trams have to be back in the yard early.  All that means service frequency has been cut and obviously trams don’t run as late.

[alexander874 17]

Thank you for that info.

[dutch 68]

16 hours ago, Bigal1 said:

It is a shame that we still see the yellow and tram train trams running nose to tail  on the shared route and not with 6- 8 minute gaps  but of course Supertram don’t care about customers Sure little they can do with the tram train as paths on network rail are not flexible but I am sure with a little thought and effort their timetables (assuming they even have any) could have come up with a more focused customer centric timetable

That section of tram is not as important as the non tramtrain sections. 

I see it happen often too and have asked myself why but it appears to be necessary to keep the rest of the network in harmony.

Personally I don't mind it to see them bumper to bumper.

[BigAl1 143]

As I said the network rail part of the route is fixed and no real short term flexibility with the tram train  but rather than the tram train service sitting in Cathedral in front of the yellow tram if the yellows and blues were swapped round then it would now be possible to run a more separated service. yes I know this is very simplistic as also would need to look at the purple route  but this sort of thing is meat and drink to professional timetable planners

[dutch 68]

Bigal1 sent an email to stagecouch and tell them all this. Maybe they will look at it and you never know they could see the point of your email.

I know someone who complained every week that Sheffield was not on the look north weather map. Until they finally changed it.

[Bargepole23 337]

3 hours ago, Bigal1 said:

As I said the network rail part of the route is fixed and no real short term flexibility with the tram train  but rather than the tram train service sitting in Cathedral in front of the yellow tram if the yellows and blues were swapped round then it would now be possible to run a more separated service. yes I know this is very simplistic as also would need to look at the purple route  but this sort of thing is meat and drink to professional timetable planners

Are you a professional timetable planner?

 

How do you know professional timetable planners haven't looked at it and concluded that what you suggest is not feasible?

[BigAl1 143]

Not myself but have contacts who are who I have spoken with about Supertram timetabling - as they still work in the transport  industry then for obvious reasons they do not want to be publically identified

 

22 hours ago, dutch said:

Bigal1 sent an email to stagecouch and tell them all this. Maybe they will look at it and you never know they could see the point of your email.

I know someone who complained every week that Sheffield was not on the look north weather map. Until they finally changed it.

I think you will find that Stagecoach (tram not the local bus) and the PTE will bury their heads in the sand and the idea that they will design things round the customer is a bit far fetched from my experience with them.

Edited October 22, 2020 by Bigal1

[dutch 68]

23 hours ago, Bigal1 said:

Not myself but have contacts who are who I have spoken with about Supertram timetabling - as they still work in the transport  industry then for obvious reasons they do not want to be publically identified

 

I think you will find that Stagecoach (tram not the local bus) and the PTE will bury their heads in the sand and the idea that they will design things round the customer is a bit far fetched from my experience with them.

You are probably right.

And personally I would not bother with it since  this issue is not important enough to get upset over. I remember trams there before the tramtrain was there and they could be totally packed at times and that was worse.

 

But I am absolutely certain there have been people who got by constantly every week calling, sending a letter. And finally got through these thick layers and explained their point and got the job done.

[BigAl1 143]

34 minutes ago, dutch said:

You are probably right.

And personally I would not bother with it since  this issue is not important enough to get upset over. I remember trams there before the tramtrain was there and they could be totally packed at times and that was worse.

 

But I am absolutely certain there have been people who got by constantly every week calling, sending a letter. And finally got through these thick layers and explained their point and got the job done.

You should not need to make repeated calls to any organisation to get something done and certainly not when you have contacted the head of that organisation. The PTE and Supertram could not even understand the stupidity of showing (fictional) tram times when the service was suspended