South Yorkshire's Supertram back in public control

Supertram was opened in 1994 with a tram-train extension covering parts of Rotherham opening in 2018

South Yorkshire's Supertram has come back under public control after 27 years of being run privately.

The network operates on four routes covering 21 miles across Sheffield, with a tram-train extension connecting to Rotherham.

Supertram had been run by Stagecoach since 1997, but the South Yorkshire mayor said it was back in public hands as the contract came to an end.

"Today is a historic day for South Yorkshire," Oliver Coppard said.

Since opening in 1994, the network has slowly grown to connect Sheffield city centre with Meadowhall, Gleadless, Herdings Park, Halfway and Hillsborough.

For the first few years, the £240m scheme was seen as a failure with commuters opting to use cheaper and more regular buses instead.

But 30 years on, Mr Coppard said this was "the first step in our journey back to a public transport system that puts people first, connecting our communities".

There are plans to create a "bigger and better" tram network, with a new stop at Magna in Rotherham, as well as talks about expanding to Stocksbridge, Barrow Hill and Chesterfield in Derbyshire, with an eye on "connecting to hospitals".

Many of the original vehicles, such as this one pictured in 1997, remain in service

Commuters have been told not to expect big changes straight away as the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) officially takes over.

However, there are plans in the short-term to deep clean all trams and stops in the next 100 days, with refurbishment of trams by 2027 and a new fleet by 2032, subject to government funding.

The service had been running at a loss, leading to lack of investment and a poor experience for passengers, SYMCA said."South Yorkshire Supertram is ours again. But we're inheriting a South Yorkshire Supertram that simply hasn't had the investment it has needed for far too long," Mr Coppard said.

"So today we start to turn that around. It won't be quick or easy, but my commitment is to create a South Yorkshire Supertram network that gets the support and care it needs to deliver for South Yorkshire."