South Yorkshire’s Tram Train scheme wins prestigious Global Light Rail Award for ‘Team of the Year’ and Highly Commended in ‘Project of the Year’ category.
Transport partners leading the UK’s first Tram Train pilot in South Yorkshire have won a prestigious Global Light Rail Award, recognising excellence and innovation in the global light and urban rail sector.
South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), together with Network Rail, Stagecoach Supertram and the Department for Transport, were presented with the Team of the Year award in recognition of the innovative partnership efforts taken to maximise skills and efficiencies to successfully deliver the Tram Train scheme. The project was also Highly Commended in the category of ‘Project of the Year Over €50m.’
SYPTE Executive Director, Stephen Edwards, said: “We are delighted that the Tram Train team’s hard work, collaboration and creativity has been recognised at the Global Light Rail Awards. It is testament to the huge efforts made by partners to ensure the ground-breaking Tram Train technology will bring long lasting benefits to our region and to the UK’s rail industry.”
“The Tram Train has certainly faced its fair share of challenges but since it opened last October, supported by over £50 million of funding from the Department for Transport, it has proved extremely popular with passengers.”
Tram Train services have operated between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham Parkgate since October 2018. Linking systems and operations together to run on the existing tramway and rail network, the technology aims to improve connections across the region and encourage economic growth.
Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: “I’m pleased that the Tram Train has been awarded the Global Light Rail Award in recognition of excellence and innovation. It’s great to see that the tram-train is now not only a huge success in its own right but could be used as a blueprint for similar schemes across the UK – once again putting innovation sparked here in South Yorkshire on the national map.
“Whilst the Tram Train is very important in its own right, it’s part of a wider picture of transport improvements across South Yorkshire. These include prioritising Active Travel, creating an integrated rail network and ensuring our bus network is fit for the 21st century.”
The Tram Train concept is being piloted so that the rail industry can understand and assess the technical issues involved in such operations. If it is successful, it could open the way for Tram Trains to be introduced elsewhere.
Simon Coulthard, Senior Sponsor for Network Rail, said: "We are thrilled to have won this prestigious award which highlights the dedication and hard work which has made this project a success. The strong working relationship of all parties involved played a key role in the delivery of this project.
"Tram Train services are bringing real benefits to passengers in South Yorkshire through improved connections and will continue to do so in the future."
Stagecoach Supertram’s Managing Director, Tim Bilby, said: “This recognition is testament to both the hard work that has gone into the project from all parties involved, and the importance it has for wider UK development of transport solutions.”
Considered as the industry’s ‘Oscars’, the Global Light Rail Awards welcomes guests from around the world to celebrate outstanding achievement and innovation. The 2019 event, organised by Mainspring and supported by industry publication Tramways & Urban Transit, was hosted by broadcaster and journalist Nicholas Owen, in London on 2 October.