Bigger tram-link buses are just the ticket says local MP

The Stagecoach-operated Supertram Link connects passengers in Stocksbridge, Deepcar and Oughtibridge with the firm’s tram at Middlewood, from where they can travel into the city centre and onwards.

The SL1 service was introduced in June 2007, and according to the company, has recorded more than 600,000 passenger journeys in the last 12 months – a 10 per cent increase.

The five new single-deck buses each have 37 seats compared to the 27 on the vehicles currently used on the route, providing room for an extra 60 passengers every hour.

They were unveiled at the Middlewood Road Park and Ride, in Hillsborough, by Angela Smith, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, who welcomed the investment made by Stagecoach to meet passenger demand.

She said: “The Supertram Link is a vibrant reminder of the value of good local bus services which take people where they want to go quickly and easily and it is vital to workers, shoppers and people using the city’s leisure facilities.”

Paul Lynch, Stagecoach Yorkshire’s managing director, said: “Passenger growth on the Supertram Link service has been phenomenal and we are delighted that it is so well used and meets a demand from people living along the route. With just one ticket for both bus and tram, it is certainly a cheaper and more environmentally friendly way than bringing a car into Sheffield.”