South Yorkshire Supertram: Network to get £8.6m urgent upgrade

Supertram was built in 1994 and most recently has been operated by Stagecoach

New trams are to run on South Yorkshire's transport network after an £8.6m urgent upgrade was approved.

Urgent work was needed on the vehicles and track, with South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) requesting money from a £100m government fund.

The funding was agreed by local leaders and will see rails renewed and passenger facilities modernised.

South Yorkshire's mayor Oliver Coppard announced last month SYMCA is to run the Supertram network from 2024.

Much of the Supertram network was built in 1994 with parts renewed on a rolling basis, but many of the trams have remained the same since their inception.

The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) said "urgent" work was now needed to modernise the facilities.

The money is being pulled down from a Department for Transport grant which can be spent on improving public transport in the region.

South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard said Supertram, which runs mainly in Sheffield with a Tram Train to Rotherham, was "a huge asset to South Yorkshire".

"While significant work has already taken place to replace sections of track, parts of the system are coming to the end of their working life.

"Fixing our public transport system will not be quick, cheap or easy. But we have started the important journey that we need to take to build the system that our region deserves; one that meets the needs of our communities and delivers a faster, smarter, greener public transport network that South Yorkshire can be proud of."

A further £4.3m has been approved to make the case to central government for additional investment as parts of the system come to the end of their working life, SYMCA said.

The mayor's office is set to create an arm's-length company to manage the network when Stagecoach's contract runs out in 2024.