All the articles I have subsequently read in the specialist magazines have suggested that the benefits to passengers will be minimal, however.

Indeed, the tram-trains may even have a lower top speed than existing trains; they may have fewer seats and maybe there will be no toilet!

Now we have an announcement by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive that they want to spend £80 million on improving bus services from Sheffield to Rotherham and to Handsworth and Waverley – the latter using the very busy Sheffield Parkway.

The irony of both these proposals is that tram-trains could be the ideal way and a golden opportunity to extend Sheffield Supertram to Rotherhan and to park-and- ride sites at Waverley (for Sheffield Parkway) and to Beighton (for Mosborough Parkway).

Tram-trains would travel from Sheffield Cathedral on the Meadowhall route as far as Nunnery Supertram depot, then join the little used Sheffield-to-Worksop railway line travelling about six miles as far as Beighton. Similarly, Rotherham tram-trains could join the Sheffield-to-Rotherham railway line near Tinsley.

I envisage 10-minute frequencies and journey times much less than the 30 minutes quoted for the bus journeys.

I also think my proposals would be cheaper than the £104 million that is being quoted for the above three schemes.

So I urgently request the Passenger Transport Executive to do some costing of my proposals and assess the benefits.

I would urge them to work closely with Sheffield Supertram and with Northern Rail to look at options for extending Sheffield Supertram in the most cost effective ways possible using tram-trains.

What do you think? Add your comments below

More:
Letters
St. Lukes' Debate
Forum
Local News
Local Sport
Arts Guide