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118-800: Sheffield station (formerly Pond Street and later Sheffield Midland ) is a combined railway station and tram stop in Sheffield , England ; it is the busiest station in South Yorkshire , and the second busiest in Yorkshire & the Humber , after Leeds . Adjacent is the Sheffield Supertram stop . The station was opened in 1870 by the Midland Railway to the designs of the company architect John Holloway Sanders . It

236-404: A bar or pub . Other station facilities may include: toilets , left-luggage , lost-and-found , departures and arrivals schedules , luggage carts, waiting rooms , taxi ranks , bus bays and even car parks . Larger or staffed stations tend to have a greater range of facilities including also a station security office. These are usually open for travellers when there is sufficient traffic over

354-407: A grooved tramway rail set into a concrete base with troughs into which the rails are laid. Most of the track is on-street using 35G-section grooved tram rail, with BS11-80A 80 lb/yd (39.7 kg/m) flat-bottom rail elsewhere. The railway track was supplied by British Steel Corporation Track Products of Workington and laid on sleepers consisting of concrete blocks with steel ties which gives

472-475: A 1:20 slope. The platform edge comprises a 60 cm (24-inch) wide light-coloured textured paving with strips of 40 cm (16 inches) wide edge warning tactile strip. Directional guidance tactile paving crosses the width of the platform to coincide with the tram door locations. Supertram is powered through 12 electric substations and fed through 107 mm (0.166 sq in) cross-section overhead line equipment (OHLE) wire. The substations convert

590-407: A brief stabling of terminating services before they are scheduled to depart. The station has four through roads which are used for through running or more commonly for stabling stock. Between platforms 5 and 6 these are known as "1-Up" and "2-Up" (they are on the "Up" or London-bound side of the station) whilst between platforms 1 and 2 are the "through road" with a direct path through the station or by

708-406: A bypass line, used by freight trains that do not need to stop at the terminus. Some termini have a newer set of through platforms underneath (or above, or alongside) the terminal platforms on the main level. They are used by a cross-city extension of the main line, often for commuter trains , while the terminal platforms may serve long-distance services. Examples of underground through lines include

826-496: A central crossover to the north end of platform 1 (1b), and "down station siding". Prior to the 1972, multiple-aspect signalling (MAS) scheme, the southern half of the current platform 8 was called platform 9. Trains from the north from platform 9 could avoid trains stood at platform 8 via an additional through road. The Sheffield Station tram stop on the South Yorkshire Supertram network was built on top of

944-499: A cumbersome reversal. The Pullman service between Sheffield Victoria and London King's Cross, including the morning and evening Master Cutler now ran onto the East Coast Main Line via Retford from Sheffield Midland instead. This was the third route used by the train of that name; originally it had run to London Marylebone . The station was resignalled in 1972, and its track layout remodelled. British Rail introduced

1062-404: A damp and cold day without any celebrations. There were originally different passenger entrances for each class. The original station buildings have been preserved and are between island platforms 2 to 5. The station was given two extra platforms and a new frontage in 1905 at a cost of £215,000 (equivalent to £29,160,000 in 2023). The enlargements consisted of creating an island platform out of

1180-404: A few intermediate stations that take the form of a stub-end station, for example at some zigzags . If there is a station building , it is usually located to the side of the tracks. In the case of intermediate stations used for both passenger and freight traffic, there is a distinction between those where the station building and goods facilities are on the same side of the tracks and those in which

1298-472: A few small railway stations are designated as "halts" ( Irish : stadanna , sing. stad ). In some Commonwealth countries the term "halt" is used. In Australia, with its sparse rural populations, such stopping places were common on lines that were still open for passenger traffic. In the state of Victoria , for example, a location on a railway line where a small diesel railcar or railmotor could stop on request, allowing passengers to board or alight,

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1416-537: A former dual carriageway , now a single lane and reserved for buses and taxis only. These three stops are served by all routes. The tram stops on each of the four routes are as follows: Weekday and Saturday services run to a peak frequency of every 12 minutes at peak operational times between Malin Bridge and Halfway , and less at other times. Sunday services operate to a peak frequency of every 20 minutes, and less at other times. Weekday and Saturday services run to

1534-831: A further 40 from other companies at the Grouping of 1923. Peak building periods were before the First World War (145 built) and 1928–1939 (198 built). Ten more were opened by British Rail on ex-GWR lines. The GWR also built 34 "platforms". Many such stops remain on the national railway networks in the United Kingdom, such as Penmaenmawr in North Wales , Yorton in Shropshire , and The Lakes in Warwickshire , where passengers are requested to inform

1652-571: A line was dual-purpose there would often be a freight depot apart from the passenger station. This type of dual-purpose station can sometimes still be found today, though in many cases goods facilities are restricted to major stations. Many stations date from the 19th century and reflect the grandiose architecture of the time, lending prestige to the city as well as to railway operations. Countries where railways arrived later may still have such architecture, as later stations often imitated 19th-century styles. Various forms of architecture have been used in

1770-407: A long enough period of time to warrant the cost. In large cities this may mean facilities available around the clock. A basic station might only have platforms, though it may still be distinguished from a halt , a stopping or halting place that may not even have platforms. Many stations, either larger or smaller, offer interchange with local transportation; this can vary from a simple bus stop across

1888-504: A member of on-board train staff if they wish to alight, or, if catching a train from the station, to make themselves clearly visible to the driver and use a hand signal as the train approaches. Most have had "Halt" removed from their names. Two publicly advertised and publicly accessible National Rail stations retain it: Coombe Junction Halt and St Keyne Wishing Well Halt . A number of other halts are still open and operational on privately owned, heritage, and preserved railways throughout

2006-492: A new platform would need to be constructed which would provide additional capacity for HS2, which approved the new route via Sheffield in July 2017. Two trains per hour are to serve Sheffield on the new high speed line. The work for HS2 will see the footprint of the station expand and major reconfiguration of the tram and roads surrounding the station to accommodate the extra services. The main station entrance, facing Sheaf Square ,

2124-675: A new through-station, including the cases of Berlin Hauptbahnhof , Vienna Hauptbahnhof and numerous examples throughout the first century of railroading. Stuttgart 21 is a controversial project involving the replacement of a terminus station by a through-station. An American example of a terminal with this feature is Union Station in Washington, DC , where there are bay platforms on the main concourse level to serve terminating trains and standard island platforms one level below to serve trains continuing southward. The lower tracks run in

2242-567: A peak frequency of every 12 minutes at peak operational times between Middlewood and Meadowhall Interchange , and less at other times. Sunday services operate to a peak frequency of every 20 minutes, and less at other times. Weekday and Saturday services run hourly between Cathedral and Herdings Park during all operational times. Sunday services run to a peak frequency of every 30 minutes, and runs hourly at other times. Services run between Cathedral and Rotherham Parkgate every 30 minutes during operational times. A reduced level of service

2360-744: A project designed to create the Gateway to Sheffield. The station and the square form part of a route that leads passengers through the square past the 262.5 feet (80 m) Cutting Edge water feature, up Howard Street and into the Heart of the City . This Gateway to Sheffield won the Project of the Year Award in the 2006 National Rail Awards. On 11 November 2007, East Midlands Trains , an amalgamation of Midland Mainline and part of Central Trains , took over

2478-643: A selection of quality cask ales and beers from around the world. Since opening, the bar has won the National Railway Heritage Award and the Cask Ale pub of the year award. In October 2010, East Midland Trains initiated £10 million worth of improvements to its stations. Sheffield received renovated waiting rooms, toilet facilities and upgraded security systems amongst its improvements. A new first class lounge on platform 5, part of these improvements, opened on 18 January 2011. The lounge

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2596-407: A spot at the station to board and disembark trains is called station track or house track regardless of whether it is a main line or loop line. If such track is served by a platform , the track may be called platform track. A loop line without a platform, which is used to allow a train to clear the main line at the station only, is called passing track. A track at the station without a platform which

2714-448: A spring feeling when travelling on these sections. The track is laid on a bed of ballast which in turn rests on a prepared formation. Street crossings are usually laid with grooved tramway rails. There are some major structures . Two viaducts carry Supertram onto Park Square (a major road junction in the centre of the city), one of them being a six-span viaduct, the other the bowstring steel arch Park Square Bridge . An underpass takes

2832-417: A station and various other features set certain types apart. The first is the level of the tracks . Stations are often sited where a road crosses the railway: unless the crossing is a level crossing , the road and railway will be at different levels. The platforms will often be raised or lowered relative to the station entrance: the station buildings may be on either level, or both. The other arrangement, where

2950-576: A station stop does not. A station stop usually does not have any tracks other than the main tracks, and may or may not have switches (points, crossovers). An intermediate station does not have any other connecting route, unlike branch-off stations , connecting stations, transfer stations and railway junctions . In a broader sense, an intermediate station is generally any station on the route between its two terminal stations . The majority of stations are, in practice, intermediate stations. They are mostly designed as through stations ; there are only

3068-405: A station track as a temporary storage of a disabled train. A "terminus" or "terminal" is a station at the end of a railway line. Trains arriving there have to end their journeys (terminate) or reverse out of the station. Depending on the layout of the station, this usually permits travellers to reach all the platforms without the need to cross any tracks – the public entrance to the station and

3186-405: A three-way junction and platforms are built on all three sides, for example Shipley and Earlestown stations. In a station, there are different types of tracks to serve different purposes. A station may also have a passing loop with a loop line that comes off the straight main line and merge back to the main line on the other end by railroad switches to allow trains to pass. A track with

3304-533: A ticket hall was constructed at the end of the main station footbridge over the top of platform 8, providing a direct connection from the tram stop to the station footbridge and the rest of the mainline station. The Blue route has a peak frequency of 5 trams per hour (every 12 minutes), and the Purple route runs hourly Monday−Saturday and every 30 minutes (peak frequency) on Sundays. Railway station Locations at which passengers only occasionally board or leave

3422-449: A train, sometimes consisting of a short platform and a waiting area but sometimes indicated by no more than a sign, are variously referred to as "stops", " flag stops ", " halts ", or "provisional stopping places". The stations themselves may be at ground level, underground, or elevated. Connections may be available to intersecting rail lines or other transport modes such as buses , trams , or other rapid transit systems. Train station

3540-650: A tunnel beneath the concourse and emerge a few blocks away to cross the Potomac River into Virginia. Terminus stations in large cities are by far the biggest stations, with the largest being Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Other major cities, such as London, Boston , Paris, Istanbul , Tokyo, and Milan have more than one terminus, rather than routes straight through the city. Train journeys through such cities often require alternative transport ( metro , bus , taxi or ferry ) from one terminus to

3658-432: A walled embankment high above platform 8 on the eastern side of the station. It was connected to platform 6 of the main station by a simple staircase. It was rebuilt and refurbished in 2002. A new footbridge connected the tram stop with the railway station. Following the opening of the new stop and platforms, the old platforms were left in situ and are only used in times of engineering works where additional platform space

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3776-464: Is Arbroath . Occasionally, a station serves two or more railway lines at differing levels. This may be due to the station's position at a point where two lines cross (example: Berlin Hauptbahnhof ), or may be to provide separate station capacity for two types of service, such as intercity and suburban (examples: Paris-Gare de Lyon and Philadelphia's 30th Street Station ), or for two different destinations. Stations may also be classified according to

3894-409: Is a single platform terminus. The first test run of the tram-train service (as far as Magna) was performed in the early hours of 10 May 2018, and the first gauging run all the way to Parkgate occurred in the early hours of 5 June 2018. The existing Siemens-Duewag Supertram fleet were not upgraded for tram-train operation, so were not registered under TOPS and cannot be used on the line as they lack

4012-565: Is accessible to disabled passengers. The station is divided into four parts: the main building/ concourse and platforms 1a/1b; the first island with platforms 2a-5b; the second island with platforms 6a-8b; and the adjoining Supertram stop. All sections are connected by a large footbridge . Sheffield station is designed to accommodate both through and terminating trains. The National Rail station has 9 platforms, numbered 1 to 8 and 2C. 2C, 3, 4 and 7 can be used by terminating trains only. 1, 3 and 4 are divided into 'A' and 'B' sections to allow

4130-455: Is any longer served by trains), or military base (such as Lympstone Commando ) or railway yard. The only two such "private" stopping places on the national system, where the "halt" designation is still officially used, seem to be Staff Halt (at Durnsford Road, Wimbledon) and Battersea Pier Sidings Staff Halt, both of which are solely for railway staff. In Portugal , railway stops are called halts ( Portuguese : apeadeiro ). In Ireland ,

4248-404: Is frequently, but not always, the final destination of trains arriving at the station. Especially in continental Europe, a city may have a terminus as its main railway station, and all main lines converge on it. In such cases all trains arriving at the terminus must leave in the reverse direction from that of their arrival. There are several ways in which this can be accomplished: There may also be

4366-574: Is needed. East Midlands Railway CrossCountry TransPennine Express Northern Trains HS2 Services HS2 will see a spur south of Chesterfield branch off the Main Route, which will go via the M18, allowing trains to head into a stop at Chesterfield and also head to Sheffield via the Sheffield to Leeds Line. Sheffield Station tram stop has direct interchange with the railway station. It

4484-470: Is operated across the Supertram network: The network operates 25 three car trams built by Siemens - Duewag of Düsseldorf , Germany, in 1992. The trams are 40% low floor design, the vehicles have been specially designed for gradients as steep as 10%. In the 1980s a design choice was taken to create the longest possible vehicle to avoid multiple working which resulted in a 34.8-metre (114 ft) design,

4602-526: Is owned and operated by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA). Interest in building a modern tram system for Sheffield had mounted during the 1980s. After detailed planning by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), the Supertram proposal was approved by Act of Parliament in 1991. Construction of the network, incorporating several existing heavy rail sections as well as new track,

4720-421: Is the location of the main concourse and most of the station's facilities. The ticket office, ticket machines , information desk and a number of retail units are located there, and public toilets and facilities such as cash machines . There are further shops and facilities on the island platforms and in the Supertram entrance hall at the far side of the station. There are waiting rooms on the island platforms and

4838-514: Is the terminology typically used in the U.S. In Europe, the terms train station and railway station are both commonly used, with railroad being obsolete. In British Commonwealth usage, where railway station is the traditional term, the word station is commonly understood to mean a railway station unless otherwise specified. In the United States, the term depot is sometimes used as an alternative name for station , along with

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4956-411: Is used for trains to pass the station without stopping is called through track. There may be other sidings at the station which are lower speed tracks for other purposes. A maintenance track or a maintenance siding, usually connected to a passing track, is used for parking maintenance equipment, trains not in service, autoracks or sleepers . A refuge track is a dead-end siding that is connected to

5074-568: The Coronavirus outbreak. The system is owned by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority , which consists of representatives from the metropolitan boroughs of Sheffield , Rotherham , Doncaster , and Barnsley . Supertram is owned by SYMCA and operated by South Yorkshire Future Trams Ltd (SYFTL), SYFTL is an arms length body that operates and maintains the network under public ownership after being municipalised on 22 March 2024. Full financial figures do not appear to be published for

5192-541: The East Coast Main Line . As part of the scheme, four services a day would operate between Sheffield and London King's Cross via Alfreton, Nottingham and Grantham, meaning Sheffield would be connected to the capital by both the Midland Main Line and the East Coast Main Line routes once again. Yeowart has proposed the resurrection of the name GNER for the service, which has been unused since

5310-648: The High Speed Train (HST) to Sheffield on the Midland Main Line in 1984. The cross-country services had seen the introduction of the HSTs in 1982. On 21 December 1991, the station was flooded by the River Sheaf , which flows under it. A log that was part of the debris commemorates the event on platform 5. In 1991. construction of the new Supertram network began and by late 1994 Sheffield Midland

5428-700: The Sheffield Tramway (1873–1960). This finally closed in October 1960, it then being argued that motorised buses offered superior economics. The new Supertram network arose from ambitions held by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), which had been assigned the role of public transport co-ordination in the area. SYPTE refined an earlier and more expansive light rail proposal to include pre-existing heavy rail alignments, in order to gain

5546-684: The Shinkansen in Japan, THSR in Taiwan, TGV lines in France, and ICE lines in Germany. Stations normally have staffed ticket sales offices, automated ticket machines , or both, although on some lines tickets are sold on board the trains. Many stations include a shop or convenience store . Larger stations usually have fast-food or restaurant facilities. In some countries, stations may also have

5664-1000: The Thameslink platforms at St Pancras in London, the Argyle and North Clyde lines of Glasgow's suburban rail network , in Antwerp in Belgium, the RER at the Gare du Nord in Paris, the Milan suburban railway service 's Passante railway , and many of the numerous S-Bahn lines at terminal stations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, such as at Zürich Hauptbahnhof . Due to the disadvantages of terminus stations there have been multiple cases in which one or several terminus stations were replaced with

5782-451: The 11 kV AC supply into 750 V DC supply into the overhead. There is a single depot, located at Nunnery Square, which occupies former carriage sidings alongside the Sheffield to Lincoln railway line . It was designed and constructed by Balfour Beatty on 2.6 hectares (6.4 acres) of land and consists of a three-line workshop building, six stabling sidings, a turning loop, engineers sidings and sundry equipment. Before

5900-609: The British Isles. The word is often used informally to describe national rail network stations with limited service and low usage, such as the Oxfordshire Halts on the Cotswold Line . It has also sometimes been used for stations served by public services but accessible only by persons travelling to/from an associated factory (for example IBM near Greenock and British Steel Redcar – although neither of these

6018-577: The East Midlands Railway first class lounge is within the station buildings, on platform 5. There is a 678-space car park situated next to the main station building (Q Park) and there is a reserved parking area for blue badge holders in the main station building. There is also a taxi rank (Sheffield Taxi Group) outside the station building, next to the disabled car park. Bicycle storage is provided on platforms 1a and 3a. The whole station, including platforms, concourse and Supertram stop,

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6136-458: The Parkgate shopping centre, where services terminate on a short spur at the side of the railway, after travelling on the Supertram line from Cathedral to Meadowhall South/Tinsley. The station at Rotherham Central is a combined tram stop and railway station, with platforms 1 and 2 at Rotherham Central extended, with the new extensions numbered platforms 3 and 4 respectively. The stop at Parkgate

6254-561: The Sheffield area, announced in August 2011 that extra services between Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly would begin in December that year. The Hope Valley Line , which will see an extra service in each direction during the peak evening period, is a key commuter route and currently has a two-hour gap in its evening schedule, which will be filled by the new services. As part of the HS2 plans,

6372-619: The United Kingdom. The start of tram-train operations, using a purpose-built fleet of new Class 399 Stadler Citylink electric multiple units , was repeatedly delayed, but on 25 October 2018, operations of the new tram-train line commenced. The Supertram network now consists of 50 stations across four colour-coded lines, the Blue, Purple, Yellow and Tram-Train (Black) routes, which connect with local and national bus and rail services and six park and ride sites. In common with many British cities, Sheffield used to have an extensive tram network,

6490-430: The area, insisted that the southern approach be in a tunnel and the land known as The Farm landscaped to prevent the line being seen. Some years later the tunnel was opened out into a cutting. Sheffield Corporation was so concerned about the eastern side of the city being cut off from the city centre that it insisted that public access be preserved across the railway site. The station and Pond Street Goods Depot opened on

6608-612: The arrival of Supertram, the site was already dedicated to the railway industry. Nunnery engine shed filled most of the site whilst lines of the Midland Railway , Great Central Railway and London & North Eastern Railway irrigated the area and served collieries . Prior to the Stagecoach takeover, ticketing was done via ticket machines, provided by Abberfield Technology of Australia. These blue ticket machines dispensed adult single ride tickets, senior citizen concessionary tickets and child concessionary tickets. As well as singles,

6726-478: The compound forms train depot , railway depot , and railroad depot —it is used for both passenger and freight facilities. The term depot is not used in reference to vehicle maintenance facilities in the U.S., whereas it is used as such in Canada and the United Kingdom. The world's first recorded railway station, for trains drawn by horses rather than engined locomotives , began passenger service in 1807. It

6844-631: The concession for the maintenance and operation of the Supertram network until 2024. There were initially plans for Supertram to extend services to a greater area of South Yorkshire, such as lines to Barnsley and Doncaster , but progress has been restricted. According to BBC News , frustration was expressed amongst people outside of Sheffield that they were paying for something they do not use. However, by 2014 plans to extend Supertram were in various stages of action, and patronage had gone up, from 7.8 million passenger journeys in 1996/97, to 15.0 million during 2011/12. The increase in usage

6962-533: The construction of stations, from those boasting grand, intricate, Baroque - or Gothic -style edifices, to plainer utilitarian or modernist styles. Stations in Europe tended to follow British designs and were in some countries, like Italy, financed by British railway companies. Train stations built more recently often have a similar feel to airports, with a simple, abstract style. Examples of modern stations include those on newer high-speed rail networks, such as

7080-482: The councils had hoped to raise to help pay off the accumulated debts, leaving several local councils with the long-term debt for the Supertram's establishment. Under the terms of the deal struck by the Labour government, a reduction in operating costs was achieved, but it was calculated that the people of South Yorkshire were each paying 5p per week for the Supertram, which continued over many years. Stagecoach acquired

7198-407: The cross-loading of freight and may be known as transshipment stations, where they primarily handle containers. They are also known as container stations or terminals. Sheffield Supertram The South Yorkshire Supertram , sometimes referred to as the Sheffield Supertram , is a tram and tram-train network covering Sheffield and Rotherham in South Yorkshire , England . The network

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7316-547: The electrification plan for the whole of the Midland Main Line would not go ahead as previously planned. Instead the section from Clay Cross in Derbyshire to Sheffield will be electrified by 2033 as part of the planned HS2. As an interim measure bi-mode trains, claimed to offer benefits similar to high speed electric trains were to be used. A National Audit Office report said: "In the case of Midland Main Line, bi-mode trains with

7434-520: The footbridge to non-ticket holders, and local residents and Supertram passengers were forced to use longer routes around the station. In November 2009, East Midlands Trains were refused planning permission for the barriers by the council, but in February 2010 announced it would apply again. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis announced in April 2010 that barriers would not be installed until a second bridge

7552-497: The footbridge would be closed off to non-ticket holders, severing a popular thoroughfare from the Norfolk Park residential area and the Supertram stop on one side, to the station travel centre, the bus interchange , the city centre and the city centre campus of Sheffield Hallam University on the other. On 6 May 2009, East Midlands Trains implemented its proposal, using temporary barriers and ticket inspectors to bar access to

7670-476: The goods facilities are on the opposite side of the tracks from the station building. Intermediate stations also occur on some funicular and cable car routes. A halt , in railway parlance in the Commonwealth of Nations , Ireland and Portugal , is a small station, usually unstaffed or with very few staff, and with few or no facilities. In some cases, trains stop only on request , when passengers on

7788-508: The impasse. In March 2012, Transport Minister Justine Greening offered £3 million to build a new footbridge to resolve the problem. Tickets are not currently required to enter the station or to use the footbridge, which gives access to the Sheffield Station tram stop to the east. Ian Yeowart, former managing director of Grand Central , put forward in 2009 a bid for new open access Alliance Rail Holdings services operating on

7906-511: The introduction of the Class 45 and Class 46 diesel-electric engines, known as Peaks . Sheaf House was built in 1965 adjacent to the station to house British Rail 's Sheffield Division headquarters. As part of the reconstruction of the area as the "Gateway to Sheffield", it was demolished in early 2006. In 1970, Sheffield's other main station, Sheffield Victoria , was closed and its remaining services, from Penistone, were diverted until 1981 via

8024-546: The last franchise of that name ended in 2007. However, in 2010 these proposed Sheffield to London Kings Cross services via the East Coast Main Line were rejected. In the 2010 Rail Utilisation Strategy, it quoted that the Midland Main Line north of Bedford will be electrified in 2020. The line is currently one of the few major main lines that is not electrified and the plan found that the project would provide significantly enhanced services and significant financial savings. In July 2017 Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling , announced

8142-401: The layout of the platforms. Apart from single-track lines, the most basic arrangement is a pair of tracks for the two directions; there is then a basic choice of an island platform between, two separate platforms outside the tracks ( side platforms ), or a combination of the two. With more tracks, the possibilities expand. Some stations have unusual platform layouts due to space constraints of

8260-417: The less developed KTM East Coast railway line to serve rural 'kampongs' (villages), that require train services to stay connected to important nodes, but do not have a need for staff. People boarding at halts who have not bought tickets online can buy it through staff on board. In rural and remote communities across Canada and the United States, passengers wanting to board the train at such places had to flag

8378-541: The loading and unloading of goods and may well have marshalling yards (classification yards) for the sorting of wagons. The world's first goods terminal was the 1830 Park Lane Goods Station at the South End Liverpool Docks. Built in 1830, the terminal was reached by a 1.24-mile (2 km) tunnel. As goods are increasingly moved by road, many former goods stations, as well as the goods sheds at passenger stations, have closed. Many are used purely for

8496-495: The machines sold multi-packs at a discount. Fare tables were shown on the machines with the validity of the different prices. To travel, each ticket had to be validated in a yellow machine on the platform. The ticket defined the type of passenger and trip. On validation, an overprint was added, giving the tramstop code, time and date of validation and the point of validation. As the machines did not dispense change, nearby shop-owners were often asked for change to purchase tickets from

8614-422: The machines. There were also problems with machine reliability. Just prior to Stagecoach taking over Supertram a move was made to remove the ticket machines and begin selling tickets on board using conductors. This change brought two key positives: an improved staff presence on board each tram, and meant that passenger's tickets could be systematically checked. Travel South Yorkshire tickets covering Sheffield or

8732-520: The main lines. The Supertram runs from Sheffield City Centre north-west to Middlewood and Malin Bridge via the University of Sheffield and Hillsborough ; north-east to Meadowhall Interchange and Rotherham Parkgate via Attercliffe ; and south-east to Halfway and Herdings Park via Norfolk Park , Manor , and Gleadless . The three main City Centre stops are located on one side of

8850-403: The main reception facilities being at the far end of the platforms. Sometimes the track continues for a short distance beyond the station, and terminating trains continue forward after depositing their passengers, before either proceeding to sidings or reversing to the station to pick up departing passengers. Bondi Junction , Australia and Kristiansand Station , Norway are examples. A terminus

8968-478: The management of the station. In December 2009, following the restoration of the station, a new pub , the Sheffield Tap, opened next to platform 1B. The room, located within the main station building, had been used as a store room for 35 years but was used for much longer as a bar and restaurant , catering for first class passengers since 1904. The bar has a restored early 20th century interior and offers

9086-447: The northbound (inbound to the city centre) track, to allow for terminating Purple Route services prior to their extension to Cathedral in the city centre – and was connected to platform 6 of the main station by a simple staircase. In line with the refurbishment of the rest of the station in the early 2000s, the tram stop was rebuilt in 2002 around 150 metres (500 ft) to the south of the existing platforms. As well as two new platforms,

9204-553: The old platform 1 and building a new platform 1 and a new entrance. These works were overseen by the Chief Architect to the Midland Railway Charles Trubshaw . Offices were built at the north end of the 300 feet (91 m) long carriageway rooftop. A large parcels office was built to the south of the main buildings. Two footbridges connected the platforms, the one to the north for passengers,

9322-416: The one to the south for station staff and parcels. The tracks were covered by two overall roofs. The older and larger spanned platforms 5 and 6, and an identical structure can still be viewed today at Bath Green Park railway station ; the other platforms 1 and 2. Wartime damage put the roofs beyond economic repair; hence, they were removed in the autumn of 1956 and replaced by low-level awnings. The 1960s saw

9440-467: The opening day of tram-train passenger operations the service was suspended following a road traffic collision on the tram network involving one of the tram-train vehicles. The incident was caused by lorry operated by Ability Handling passing a red traffic light and caused the tram to be derailed. The service has also been suspended twice after faults were found on the Citylink units. The first suspension

9558-816: The other. For instance, in Istanbul transfers from the Sirkeci Terminal (the European terminus) and the Haydarpaşa Terminal (the Asian terminus) historically required crossing the Bosphorus via alternative means, before the Marmaray railway tunnel linking Europe and Asia was completed. Some cities, including New York, have both termini and through lines. Terminals that have competing rail lines using

9676-596: The platform indicate that they wish to board, or passengers on the train inform the crew that they wish to alight. These can sometimes appear with signals and sometimes without. The Great Western Railway in Great Britain began opening haltes on 12 October 1903; from 1905, the French spelling was Anglicised to "halt". These GWR halts had the most basic facilities, with platforms long enough for just one or two carriages; some had no raised platform at all, necessitating

9794-469: The provision of steps on the carriages. Halts were normally unstaffed, tickets being sold on the train. On 1 September 1904, a larger version, known on the GWR as a "platform" instead of a "halt", was introduced; these had longer platforms, and were usually staffed by a senior grade porter, who sold tickets and sometimes booked parcels or milk consignments. From 1903 to 1947 the GWR built 379 halts and inherited

9912-462: The reduction included the disruptive rail replacement effort across the network, which involved partial closures and the use of buses as temporary replacements, as well as the impact of cheaper petrol . The tram-train extension to Rotherham opened on 25 October 2018, using seven new Vossloh -built Class 399 Citylink articulated electric multiple units . Trams operate on Network Rail 's line from Tinsley to Rotherham station and beyond to

10030-418: The relevant Network Rail safety systems and crashworthiness . The tram-train scheme was first planned to be in service by 2015 but was delayed. The Class 399 units were built in 2015/16 with the first delivered in December 2015. Until the completion of the tram-train line, some were used to provide increased capacity on the existing Supertram network. They first entered service on 14 September 2017. On

10148-533: The required permissions to proceed, and deposited several Bills to Parliament in 1985–1990 to gain the necessary powers. Financial approval was given by the Department of Transport towards the end of 1990, allowing the £240 million construction of the initial line to commence in 1991. This line was opened in stages between 1994 and 1995. The first section, located along a former heavy rail alignment to Meadowhall , opened on 21 March 1994. The network

10266-1140: The required speed and acceleration did not exist when the Secretary of State made his decision." The MP for Loughborough (another area to have been served by the proposed electrification scheme) and Chair of the Treasury Select Committee , Nicky Morgan said of the revised plans, "Now we see the decision to cancel it was based on fantasy trains that didn't even exist and the Midlands being a guinea pig for an untested technology". CrossCountry , aspiring to improve their overall network and services, aims to increase services between Sheffield and Leeds. East Midlands Railway also plans to make service improvements to its services between Liverpool and Norwich via Sheffield with two-car Class 158 trains doubling in capacity to four cars. Coupled with newly acquired Class 156 trains, this will lead to an extra 1,500 seats being available each day on this service. Northern , responsible for operating most local services in

10384-441: The same frequency as the tram and was timetabled to connect with the tram at Middlewood. Through single, return, day and week tickets were available to allow travel on both Supertram and SupertramLink bus services. On 1 June 2020, Stagecoach withdrew the dedicated SupertramLink bus from Middlewood to Stocksbridge, providing an enhanced service on local bus service 57 from Hillsborough to Stocksbridge in its place. The following fleet

10502-592: The service would return to public operation once Stagecoach's contract expired in March 2024, alongside a £100 million grant by the central government to modernise parts of the system. The date of the transfer was 22 March 2024, with a new operating company known as the South Yorkshire Future Tram Limited (SYFTL) taking over all Supertram operations. Coppard's authority manages the publicly-owned arm's length organisation to manage

10620-405: The station entrance and platforms are on the same level, is also common, but is perhaps rarer in urban areas , except when the station is a terminus. Stations located at level crossings can be problematic if the train blocks the roadway while it stops, causing road traffic to wait for an extended period of time. Stations also exist where the station buildings are above the tracks. An example of this

10738-477: The station frequently set up a jointly owned terminal railroad to own and operate the station and its associated tracks and switching operations. During a journey, the term station stop may be used in announcements, to differentiate halts during which passengers may alight and halts for another reasons, such as a locomotive change . While a junction or interlocking usually divides two or more lines or routes, and thus has remotely or locally operated signals ,

10856-567: The station location, or the alignment of the tracks. Examples include staggered platforms, such as at Tutbury and Hatton railway station on the Crewe–Derby line , and curved platforms, such as Cheadle Hulme railway station on the Macclesfield to Manchester Line. Stations at junctions can also have unusual shapes – a Keilbahnhof (or "wedge-shaped" station) is sited where two lines split. Triangular stations also exist where two lines form

10974-413: The station was sandblasted and its archways filled with unobstructed windows to improve views both from inside and out. Other changes included the improvement of platform surfaces and the addition of a pedestrian bridge connecting the station concourse with the Sheffield Supertram stop at the far side of the station. To coincide with the regeneration of the station, Sheaf Square was rebuilt as part of

11092-557: The street to underground rapid-transit urban rail stations. In many African, South American, and Asian countries, stations are also used as a place for public markets and other informal businesses. This is especially true on tourist routes or stations near tourist destinations . As well as providing services for passengers and loading facilities for goods, stations can sometimes have locomotive and rolling stock depots, usually with facilities for storing and refuelling rolling stock and carrying out minor repairs. The basic configuration of

11210-421: The system represented poor value for money. The matter of who should bear the cost became an issue. By 1996, the councils backing the Supertram brought in consultants to draw up options to address major operational and managerial problems. In December 1997, South Yorkshire Supertram Limited was privatised , and sold to Stagecoach for £1.15 million, substantially below the anticipated £80 million that

11328-436: The system, ridership numbers rose considerably. In March 2024, the network returned to public ownership as the concession awarded to Stagecoach came to an end. From 2008, interest had been expressed in hybrid tram-train operations, which would be able to use sections of the mainline rail network as well as tramways. During 2012 an experimental trial was planned, as this was to be the first deployment of tram-trains anywhere in

11446-489: The third-longest tram design in operation in Europe at the time and the longest in service in the UK until the 42.8-metre (140 ft) long Edinburgh Trams were introduced. Launched in an initial light grey livery, following the awarding of the operating franchise to Stagecoach the trams were reliveried in Stagecoach's corporate livery from 1997. From 2006 the trams were refurbished, and a new dedicated Supertram blue–based livery

11564-442: The train down to stop it, hence the name " flag stops " or "flag stations". Accessibility for disabled people is mandated by law in some countries. Considerations include: In the United Kingdom, rail operators will arrange alternative transport (typically a taxi ) at no extra cost to the ticket holder if the station they intend to travel to or from is inaccessible. Goods or freight stations deal exclusively or predominantly with

11682-412: The tram network returned to public ownership in 2024. In January 2020 the option to pay for a ticket via credit/debit card, along with other contactless methods of payment (such as Google Pay and Apple Pay ), was introduced to all trams. Up until this point the only payment method onboard was cash. In October 2020, £2.6   million was allocated to Supertram to make up for lost revenue caused by

11800-557: The tram service. The South Yorkshire Supertram network is organised around Park Square and consists of four lines – Yellow, Blue, Purple and Tram-Train (black on maps) The lines, with termini at Meadowhall Interchange , Parkgate , Halfway and Hillsborough , all serve Sheffield city centre and meet at Park Square where a triangular junction was constructed to provide interchange between lines and operational flexibility. A pair of small branches serving Malin Bridge, from Hillsborough Interchange , and Herdings Park branch out from two of

11918-558: The tram underneath the busy A57 roundabout outside the University of Sheffield . The Supertram has 50 tram stops, which are generally 26.5 m (87 ft) long and 3 m (9.8 ft) deep and are of a network-wide standard making them easy to understand and use. The design incorporates recommendations made by the Cranfield Institute of Technology who studied ergonomics for both able-bodied and disabled users. The platforms are 37.5 cm (14.8 inches) high, with

12036-533: The whole of South Yorkshire are valid on Supertram services as well as local buses and trains. Unlike some other tramway and light rail operators in England, Supertram accepts concessionary travel passes issued by any English local authority. PlusBus tickets are accepted as well. During the period in which Stagecoach held the Supertram franchise, tickets were sold with combined validity on Supertram and Stagecoach Yorkshire bus services; these were discontinued when

12154-618: The world was Crown Street railway station in Liverpool, England , built in 1830, on the locomotive-hauled Liverpool to Manchester line. The station was slightly older than the still extant Liverpool Road railway station terminal in Manchester. The station was the first to incorporate a train shed . Crown Street station was demolished in 1836, as the Liverpool terminal station moved to Lime Street railway station . Crown Street station

12272-591: Was The Mount in Swansea , Wales, on the Oystermouth (later the Swansea and Mumbles ) Railway. The world's oldest station for engined trains was at Heighington , on the Stockton and Darlington railway in north-east England built by George Stephenson in the early 19th century, operated by locomotive Locomotion No. 1 . The station opened in 1827 and was in use until the 1970s. The building, Grade II*-listed ,

12390-534: Was built on top of a walled embankment that formerly carried Granville Street past the station, which was downgraded to a lineside public footpath when the embankment was repurposed to carry the Supertram line. The stop also serves the City Campus of Sheffield Hallam University and the Park Hill estate above the railway station. The stop opened on 22 August 1994, and originally had three platforms – two on

12508-519: Was built to maintain a thoroughfare for non-ticket holders. From September 2010, East Midlands Trains used uniformed staff to prevent local residents using the footbridge. At the same time, Sheffield City Council explored the possibility of turning the bridge into a public right-of-way to resolve the matter. In late 2010, it was reported that the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg , MP for Sheffield Hallam , might intervene to resolve

12626-526: Was called a "rail motor stopping place" (RMSP). Usually situated near a level crossing , it was often designated solely by a sign beside the railway. The passenger could hail the driver to stop, and could buy a ticket from the train guard or conductor. In South Australia, such facilities were called "provisional stopping places". They were often placed on routes on which "school trains" (services conveying children from rural localities to and from school) operated. In West Malaysia , halts are commonplace along

12744-460: Was carried out in sections, allowing revenue services to start during 1994. Early operations, hindered by a complex ticketing system and the initially small coverage area, had disappointing ridership figures. In an effort to turn around the performance, operations were privatised to Stagecoach in 1997, at price of £1.15 million, who took over from South Yorkshire Supertram Limited. After management and operational changes, and further expansion of

12862-412: Was connected to the network, after the opening of the line between Fitzalan Square in the city centre and Spring Lane, to the east of the station. In 2002, Midland Mainline , as the main train operating company of the station, instigated a major regeneration of Sheffield station. Before this, a taxi rank was located inside what is now the main concourse and the new entrance hall. The stone façade of

12980-627: Was converted to a goods station terminal. The first stations had little in the way of buildings or amenities. The first stations in the modern sense were on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway , opened in 1830. Manchester's Liverpool Road Station , the second oldest terminal station in the world, is preserved as part of the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester . It resembles a row of Georgian houses. Early stations were sometimes built with both passenger and freight facilities, though some railway lines were goods-only or passenger-only, and if

13098-436: Was credited to various factors. Industry publication Rail pointed towards changes to route patterns, the introduction of onboard conductors, ticket simplification and refurbishment of the trams themselves as having generated greater appeal amongst the public. Between 2012 and 2017, the number of passengers and operating revenue declined; during 2016/17, the network carried 12.6 million passengers. Reasons presented for

13216-519: Was in bad condition, but was restored in 1984 as an inn. The inn closed in 2017; in 2024 there were plans to renovate the derelict station in time for the 200th anniversary of the opening of the railway line. The two-storey Mount Clare station in Baltimore , Maryland , United States, which survives as a museum, first saw passenger service as the terminus of the horse-drawn Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on 22 May 1830. The oldest terminal station in

13334-651: Was introduced across the Supertram network on 23 March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom . A modified Sunday timetable was in operation, until services were further reduced to hourly on 1 April. The Stagecoach Yorkshire bus company formerly operated the SL1 and SL1a "SupertramLink" routes between the Middlewood terminus of the Yellow route and Stocksbridge , via Oughtibridge . The bus ran at

13452-452: Was launched, with the entire fleet completed in early 2009. Stadler supplied seven tram-train vehicles , delivered between November 2015 and November 2016. The network is 29 km (18 miles) long, with 60 km (37 miles) of track. It features two types of track; tramway track where either pedestrians or road traffic share the right of way and ballasted railway track when there are no such requirements. Tramway track consists of

13570-510: Was on 9 April 2019, when the fleet was withdrawn to undergo safety checks, although service resumed the next day. The service was later suspended again on 14 December 2019, resuming three days later on 17 December. Services have also operated on a reduced frequency several times whilst work has been undertaken on the Citylink fleet. On 18 October 2022 the South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard announced that

13688-509: Was opened by the Master Cutler Professor Bill Speirs who was joined by 50 top business leaders from Sheffield and the surrounding area. In 2008, East Midlands Trains revealed its intention to restrict access to parts of the station by installing ticket barriers to try to prevent passengers from travelling without a ticket. This proposal met with widespread opposition from residents and Council members because

13806-541: Was operated by South Yorkshire Supertram Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary company of SYPTE established to run the venture. In the early years, the scheme was viewed by some as a failure; passengers continued using cheaper and more frequent buses , and retailers complained about the disruption caused by the lengthy construction works. The complex ticketing system was also a source of irritation and confusion to passengers. It became clear that projections for passenger numbers had been overly optimistic, and concern arose that

13924-580: Was the fifth and last station to be built in Sheffield city centre. The station was built on the 'New Line', which ran between Grimesthorpe Junction, on the former Sheffield and Rotherham Railway , and Tapton Junction, just north of Chesterfield . This line replaced the Midland Railway's previous route, the 'old road', to London , which ran from Sheffield Wicker via Rotherham . The new line and station were built despite some controversy and opposition locally. The Duke of Norfolk, who owned land in

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