South Yorkshire transport puts foot on accelerator

TRANSPORT in South Yorkshire received two pieces of good news yesterday as Doncaster Sheffield Airport announced a strong increase in passenger numbers while investment in Sheffield’s tram network will see the latest phase of improvements start next month.

The introduction of four routes at the airport – two heading west to Belfast and Isle of Man, and two going to the east, to Bucharest and Riga – helped passenger numbers increase 5% in 2014, the airport’s 10th anniversary year.
 
Steve Gill, managing director at Doncaster Sheffield Airport, said: “Once people realise how accessible the airport and the destinations we fly to are, they are keen to fly local and support the regional economy.”

Also, the Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme (FARRRS), which should significantly improve journey times to the airport, is on schedule and set to be completed by January 2016.

In Sheffield, multi-million-pound investment work to improve the city’s tram system is to resume next month.

The first phase of this year’s essential engineering work to replace worn out sections of rail will take place between Hillsborough and Infirmary Road. The programme to replace more than 22km of track is approaching its halfway point.

The £32m project, delivered by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), Stagecoach Supertram and VolkerRail, began in 2013 and is expected to take around 5 years. The work also includes preparation of the tracks for the new Tram-Train service that will operate between Sheffield and Rotherham from early 2017.

SYPTE deputy interim director general, David Young, said: “The tram is a fantastic asset to Sheffield City Region and the works will ensure the tram network provides a robust and reliable service for years to come.”