A SUPERCLEAN FOR SUPERTRAM – MAYOR THANKS STAFF AS DEEP CLEAN IS ROLLED OUT

Published 11 October 2024 at 10:00am

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, has praised the hardworking Supertram staff who have been delivering on plans to deep clean trams and stops across the network.

Thanks to investment from the Mayor and South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), Supertram teams have been empowered and equipped to get out across the network and create a cleaner network that makes journeys more pleasant for passengers.

In September, Mayor Coppard met with staff at Supertram’s Nunnery depot to personally thank them for all their brilliant work cleaning the trams and stops.

As Supertram came back into public control after 27 years in March, the Mayor pledged that customers would start seeing improvements quickly - including cleaner trams and tram stops right across Sheffield and Rotherham.

The trams and tram stops were ingrained with dirt and graffiti. Many shelters had moss and dirt on the roofs with floor and panels covered in graffiti, grime and weeds.

In addition to the deep cleaning operation, SYMCA is investing more than £33m in the Supertram network, fare evasion is down and revenue is up, new handheld ticketing machines have been introduced for conductors and a trial for more trams at peak times along key routes to help commuters has been completed since March.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “My ambition is nothing less than a world class public transport network for South Yorkshire. But we won’t just get there with big strides, it’s also about the small steps.

“Now we have the tram network back under public control, we are putting people and passengers right at the heart of our plans, and that means getting the basics right. So, we’ve now brought in a new team that will help us clean the trams, stops and facilities, to make the experience of travelling on our network just that little bit nicer.

“Our new team – including Dave and Steve who I met recently – are central to my ambition and approach for South Yorkshire’s Supertram, and I’m really proud to have them onboard for that journey. Please do look out for them on the network and say hello if you see them!”

As well as the new deep cleaning programme which is underway, Supertram also has a regular cleaning and ongoing maintenance programme in place to keep on top of the well-used network. This means that tram stops get a daily visit, deep clean monthly and all track litter is picked as well.

A nightly cleaning programme is also in place for all trams. In the coming weeks and months customers will continue to see new tram seat covers being rolled out.

There are also plans to refurbish all the trams by March 2027 and have a whole new Supertram fleet rolled out by 2032, subject to government funding.

The Mayor, together with Supertram and SYMCA, plan to create a bigger and better tram network that is fully integrated with other modes of transport. This will form the basis of a world-class transport network for South Yorkshire that connects all communities to opportunity.