Well discovered under tram tracks causes delays

A Victorian well has been discovered beneath tram tracks in Sheffield - leading to weeks of disruptions for passengers.

The blue Supertram route has been suspended after the hole was found under Birley Lane.

Specialist engineers are now carrying out further studies and reviewing historical records. Evidence suggests the well dates back to the late 1800s and is possibly related to the city's coal mining industry.

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said he understood how frustrating it was for passengers but safety had to be a priority.

He said the next phase of investigations would be to understand exactly what was happening beneath the track, including drilling boreholes and using scanning technology to build a detailed picture of the shaft and the surrounding ground.

Engineers are working closely with the Mining Remediation Authority to fully understand the risks but Coppard warned it would be a "complex engineering challenge".

He said: "This wasn't on any of the survey maps we had been given when we took the tram network over.

"The tram is now over 30 years old and for whatever reason this hole was missed when the tram lines were originally built.

"We are investigating not just the hole itself but how deep it is, how much it extends and if there are other issues need to contend with such as are there other holes?

"We have people working on this all hours but it has to be done in the right way and safely. I have to be honest though, this is going to be weeks because it is a big problem."

Replacement buses are running to cover parts of the route and one option is to look at whether trams could safely operate past the site using the unaffected track.

Replacement bus services will continue to operate between Gleadless Townend and Halfway, with Supertram tickets accepted. The number of buses is being increased along this line of the route.

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