Sheffield Supertram - Sheffield Supertram Business Trends - F

• A number of extensions to the Supertram network have been proposed.
• In May 2003, the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority announced plans to extend the Supertram network to Hellaby, a suburb of Rotherham, Dore, a suburb of Sheffield, and Ranmoor, Sheffield. None of these extensions have been built.
• In August 2008, plans were announced for the trial of diesel-electro hybrid tram trains on a route via Network Rail tracks to Huddersfield via Meadowhall, Barnsley and Penistone. The fleet of five tram trains, costing £9 million was expected to be in operation by the end of 2010 with the whole project costing £24 million for the 37-mile route.
• It was planned that the hourly Northern Rail service from Sheffield to Huddersfield via the Penistone line would be scrapped, being replaced by a more frequent tram service with more stops and a faster service due to the trams' more rapid acceleration. Plans were also announced for a second trial between Rotherham Central and Sheffield at the same time.
• The Sheffield to Huddersfield plans were later abandoned in September 2009, although the Sheffield to Rotherham route was to go ahead. The initial plan was to use electric vehicles capable of operating on either 750 V DC or 25 kV 50 Hz AC, via Rotherham Central to a new station at Parkgate. The scheme was estimated to require £15 million, later revised upwards to £18.7 million to build when first proposed, but was eventually expected to cost £75.1 million. The Rotherham route was originally intended to begin operation in 2015, however this date was put back several times until the October 2018 opening date after a series of delays.
• Part of the delay was due to the transport secretary failing to approve the building of a 150m (164yd) section of track at Tinsley in a timely manner. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was critical of Network Rail's initial estimates for the cost of modifications to the route calling them, "wholly unrealistic". The PAC also noted that Network Rail and the Department for Transport could not provide figures on how much money had been spent on a now cancelled line electrification project.
• Part of the unexpected rise in the cost of creating the route and the delay was due to the need to demolish and rebuild the College Road road over-bridge next to Rotherham Central station. It was thought that the ballast beneath the railway line could have been excavated to provide headroom for the catenary but this proved not to be feasible.
• In 2017, the Sheffield City Region invited public consultation on The Sheffield City Region Transport Strategy 2018-2040 policy document (draft for consultation November 2017) in which it was revealed that only 1% of the population used the Supertram network on journeys to work in 2011. The number of passengers on the Supertram network increased from 2 million in the 1994/1995 financial years to over 12 million in the 2016/2017 financial years.
• There are plans to re-route the tram line from behind Sheffield station to where Sheaf Street is currently located as part of a £1.5 billion plan to redevelop the station and surrounding area.
• There are also plans to build a new stop on the Tram Train route outside Magna Science Adventure Centre.
• In April 2022, the Sheffield Green Party unveiled their plans for the system, with extensions planned across South Yorkshire.
• In September 2023 Rotherham Council proposed a new train station and tram stop in the Parkgate area.

• In 1995, engineer William Roe suffered severe brain damage after his car skidded on wet tram tracks and crashed into a metal pole. Supertram were made to award Mr Roe compensation for failing to ensure that the rails were level with the adjacent road surface, and for the lack of warning signs indicating that the tracks are hazardous when wet. It was reported there were 53 accidents involving Supertram in Sheffield between 1994 and 1997, including two fatalities and 12 serious injuries.
• On 7 March 2003, a man died from serious head injuries after he was hit by a tram whilst lying on the tracks.
• On 27 October 2005, a pedestrian was killed after stepping in front of an approaching tram.
• On 20 September 2008, a 75-year-old woman was seriously injured when she fell and was subsequently struck by a tram while it was arriving at the local tram stop.
• The woman was removed and transferred to the Northern General Hospital, suffering from head injuries, a fractured pelvis, and a broken leg.
• On 22 October 2015, trams 120 and 118 collided at Shalesmoor. This resulted in the two damaged sections of both trams requiring major repairs, whilst the undamaged parts of trams 120 and 118 were put together and painted in a version of the original Sheffield Tramways cream and blue livery to re-create the original 120. Tram 118 returned to service a year later in October 2016.
• In November 2016, teacher Terry Orwin sustained serious head injuries from crashing while riding a bicycle on Langsett Road and being caught by the tram tracks.
• In December 2016, Saleh Qassim Saleh, 81, was killed in a collision with a tram. The driver was charged with causing death by careless driving.
• In June 2017, two trams were involved in a low-speed collision at Halfway.
• In July 2018 a passenger was injured when they were thrown across the tram as a result tram overspeeding at Middlewood Road and then braking suddenly. The impact of the passenger with a door caused the door to open.
• On 25 October 2018, the day the Tram-train service launched, a lorry collided with one such tram at approximately 3.30 pm on Staniforth Road, near the Woodbourn Road station, derailing the tram-train. Three people were injured with two being treated on site and one taken to hospital. Initial reports indicate that the lorry pulled across the path of the Tram-train. On 12 August 2019, lorry driver Kevin Hague, 61, of Rotherham admitted driving through a red light at Sheffield Magistrates' Court. The BBC reported, 'In a personal impact statement read to the court the driver of the tram-train said he was thankful he was in one of the new £4M vehicles. They are built to higher crash-worthiness standards as they also run on Network Rail tracks.'
• On 30 November 2018, a car collided with a tram-train at approximately 4.30 pm on Staniforth Road.
• On 22 May 2019, a man was hit by a tram shortly after having an argument with two men. He later died on 26 May 2019 and was named as Martin Rigg.  A man was arrested on suspicion of murder on 1 June 2019.
• On 23 July 2021, tram 105 was derailed in a collision with a lorry on Cricket Inn Road. One person was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
• On 11 April 2022, tram 121 crashed into a police van near Leppings Lane. The van driver was taken to hospital with a broken leg.