Supertram Set to Restore 12-Minute Service Following £2.75m Easter Upgrade Works

Sheffield’s Supertram network is preparing to return to its regular 12-minute service timetable once a programme of £2.75 million in infrastructure upgrades is completed during the Easter school holidays.

Over recent months, Supertram services have been operating on a temporary timetable while newly recruited drivers completed their training throughout the winter period. With the training programme now finished and additional drivers ready to take up duties, the network is set to resume its normal frequency from Monday 13 April.

The timetable restoration will coincide with the completion of essential engineering works aimed at improving the long-term reliability of the tram system. The programme includes the replacement of worn rails and repairs to the concrete track slab, helping to strengthen the network and ensure it continues to operate safely and efficiently for the millions of passengers who rely on it each year. The works will also improve road conditions for other vehicles that share sections of the route.

This £2.75 million project forms part of a much larger investment plan by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), which has committed more than £110 million to upgrading the Supertram network by 2027. The wider programme includes improvements to trams, track infrastructure, control systems and power supplies, as well as the construction of a new Tram Train station at Magna.

The upgrade works will take place between Sheffield Station and Gleadless Townend, affecting services on the Purple route and part of the Blue route. Engineering activity will begin on Saturday 28 March and continue until Sunday 12 April, with work taking place at several locations including Manor Top, Spring Lane, Ridgeway Road and City Road.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said the improvements reflect a broader effort to strengthen and modernise the region’s tram services.

He explained that steps have already been taken to improve reliability by recruiting and training new drivers, which has helped the network return closer to the level of service passengers expect. According to Coppard, service reliability reached 99.2% in February, the strongest performance since November, while passenger numbers increased by 3.8% year-on-year, the highest growth recorded since April of the previous year.

Coppard also highlighted the wider investment programme that has followed the return of Supertram into public control. In addition to the infrastructure upgrades, measures have been introduced to freeze or reduce adult fares throughout 2026, alongside the development of the new Magna station.

He added that every improvement — from training additional drivers to upgrading track infrastructure — represents progress toward delivering a high-quality public transport network for South Yorkshire. Coppard welcomed the fact that services will return to the regular 12-minute frequency once the Easter upgrade works are completed.

Temporary Service Changes During Engineering Works

While the work is carried out, tram services will not operate between Sheffield Station and Gleadless Townend from 28 March until 12 April.

Most of the Supertram network will continue operating normally, but the Blue and Purple routes will be affected during the upgrade period.

• Blue Route: Services will not operate between Sheffield Station and Gleadless Townend, but will continue as normal across the rest of the line.

• Purple Route: Services will be suspended during the works.

• Yellow Route: Services will operate as normal.

• Tram Train services: These services will continue running without disruption.

Once the project is completed, both the Blue and Purple routes are expected to fully reopen on Monday 13 April. On that date, the Blue and Yellow routes will also return to their standard 12-minute frequency, restoring the usual service pattern across the network.

Updated timetables are expected to be published on the Travel South Yorkshire website in early April, providing passengers with full details ahead of the timetable change.

The Easter engineering programme represents the latest step in the long-term modernisation of Sheffield’s tram network, designed to ensure the system remains reliable, efficient and fit for the future.