South Yorkshire Mayor Hails VolkerRail's Supertram improvements

Since Supertram was taken back under public control in March, after 27 years, the Mayor has overseen an ambitious improvement plan across the network, with £23m invested this financial year and a total of £33m currently earmarked.

A key part of this investment to improve the network took place this summer, helping to future proof and extend the lifespan of our tram network.

The works, which spanned from Saturday 20 July until Sunday 1 September, were essential to ensure trams could continue to run safely and critical to extend the lifespan of the Supertram network.

The improvements mean a better travel experience for passengers with improved comfort, reduced noise, and the risk of unplanned closures on the network reduced.

The work undertaken this summer included the replacement of over 1km of embedded track and over 460m of ballasted track.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “After 27 years South Yorkshire’s Supertram came back under public control in March.

“Now, we are making huge strides in our journey back to a public transport system that puts people first, connects our communities and helps us to build a bigger and better economy in South Yorkshire.

“The investments into Supertram we made over the summer are a huge part of that journey, helping us to create a safe, reliable network that people will be able to use and enjoy for generations to come.

During the improvement works, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) used local expertise wherever possible, which included working with other businesses in the region.

“We used local suppliers as much as possible, including British Steel Scunthorpe for new rail for all ballasted sites, and a local scrap yard in Rotherham for processing scrap rail before returning to British Steel.”

Melanie Corcoran, executive director of public transport at SYMCA, said: “The work this summer has been critical to extend the lifespan of one of the region’s best loved modes of transport.

www.volkerrail.com