tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post7981296251153307327..comments2024-03-28T14:10:58.998+00:00Comments on Robert Schwandl's Urban Rail Blog: SHEFFIELD SupertramRobert Schwandlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13156288779783738076noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5810004648766820675.post-21468984390396776812015-07-25T08:42:35.176+01:002015-07-25T08:42:35.176+01:00During the late 1990s, the Sheffield tram systems ...During the late 1990s, the Sheffield tram systems was generally considered to be a failure, and this is why it was never extended. Passenger numbers were much lower than expected, which may in part be explained by the predicted figures being to high in the first place (maybe to attract government money?). However, there is more to it. While the Sheffield system was being built, the population numbers of the city continued to decline, even more so in the Hillsborough area (where both the yellow and blue lines run), with high rise council estates being demolished to be replaced by terraced and low rise housing in much lower densities. So people were moving out of the neighbourhoods that the trams were going to serve, just as the system was being built! The number of P&R places, that could have partly compensated for this, was disappointing to start with, although this has improved a lot during more recent years. Competition with private bus companies was also fierce, at least until Stagecoach took over some of the urban bus routes: now part of the bus system is provided by the same company that is operating the trams.<br />Between completion of the Sheffield tram system in 1995 and the early 2000s, in fact plans did exist to expand the network, in a way quite similar to Manchester's "big bang". However, the general feeling at the time was that the system was a failure (quite wrongly, passenger numbers were in fact rising) and all plans were scrapped.<br />Andre MulderAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com