Supertram Opts Not to Send Drivers to European Championship

Management at Supertram has opted not to dispatch any of its drivers from Sheffield to participate in an upcoming European contest. This event, officially named the European Tramdriver Championship and also referred to as the Tram-EM, is scheduled for 2025 in Vienna, the capital city of Austria. It is open to public transport organizations across Europe. A petition was initiated by a group of supporters, advocating for Supertram to dispatch a team to compete, thereby demonstrating Sheffield’s dedication to environmentally friendly transportation. However, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, the entity that owns the tram network, informed the BBC that it would not be submitting any drivers for the competition. As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the online petition, initiated by Jeremy Luke Goldsworthy, had garnered over 50 signatures by Friday evening and is scheduled to remain active until 1 December. Mr. Goldsworthy stated that the championship, which has previously featured teams from Birmingham and Edinburgh, would provide Sheffield, a city he described as “often overlooked,” a chance to represent the United Kingdom “on a European stage.” Mr. Goldsworthy commented, “Participation in the European Tramdriver Championship perfectly complements existing commitments like the Connecting Sheffield initiative and will improve the appeal of jobs within the public transport industry.” He further added, “Supertram already connects Sheffield to Rotherham but through Tram-EM it could become a bridge connecting Sheffield to the rest of the world, while celebrating Sheffield’s commitment to green transport.” A Supertram spokesperson issued a statement, saying: “In South Yorkshire we all know that Supertram is the best tram system around and we’re very pleased that people in South Yorkshire want to see us prove our stuff at the European Tramdriver Championship.“While this isn’t something we’ll be able to do this year it’s certainly not something we’d rule out in the future.” Supertram, which commenced operations in 1994, was transferred into public ownership in March of this year under South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard.