STOCKSBRIDGE TOWN COUNCIL THROW WEIGHT BEHIND RAIL RE-OPENING PLAN

Published in The Star, 26 July 2012

STOCKSBRIDGE Town Council is to revive the possibility of extending Supertram as a tram train along an existing railway track to Stocksbridge.

The council has considered the idea previously but now the go-ahead has been given for a Supertram tram-train system to operate from Sheffield to Parkgate Retail Park in Rotherham it is to raise the issue again with Penistone and Stocksbridge MP Angela Smith.

Coun Jack Clarkson said it was time to again explore the possibility of extending the Supertram route from the Middlewood terminus along the existing railway track used by occasional freight trains to the steelworks in Stocksbridge.

He said: “Now this other Supertram project to Rotherham is to start it is time to see if we can have a similar system to Stocksbridge along the existing railway track from the terminus at Middlewood because we need to keep our local transport infrastructure.”

Mayor Coun Mrs Sue Abrahams said the MP was very supportive of improving public transport facilities in Stocksbridge and they should raise the matter with her.