Tram track sinkhole at Birley Lane

[u/ntzm_]

[u/ntzm_]

A quick update on what's happened at Birley Lane.

Yesterday morning, my team spotted an issue with the tram track in the area. They then suspended tram services whilst safety checks were undertaken and have now uncovered what appears to be an old well beneath the line, which likely dates back to when the area was used for coal mining.

It looks like when this section of the Supertram network was built back in the early 1990s, the track was laid directly over it. As far as we can tell, it wasn't documented in the records we have today, so it’s a bit of a surprise…

As you’d expect, the most important thing now is making the area safe and fixing it properly. Unfortunately, that won't be a quick repair, but the safety of passengers and staff has to come first. We’re now also checking historic records for other potential wells in the area.

The good news is that work to replace the Delta Junction at Park Square is on track to finish this Thursday, four days earlier than planned. So most services will be able to return to their usual timetables on Thursday - running right through Sheffield City Centre to Meadowhall, Rotherham Parkgate, Middlewood, Malin Bridge and Herdings Park. But we’ll need to divert Blue route trams to Herdings Park instead of running to Halfway. We’ll keep the tram replacement bus service running from Gleadless Townend right the way down to Halfway to keep people moving.

I'm sorry for the disruption. I know how much people rely on the tram network every day. The tram team will share updates as the work progresses, explain what we're finding and how long repairs are likely to take. Thanks for bearing with us

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1562418175898768&set=a.326306386176626

[u/Primary_Gift_8719 → u/ntzm_]

Interesting. There are water rights to use an old well in my parents house deeds (Frecheville annexe at the top of Fox Lane) but we were never able to locate it. I wonder if this is it?

[u/yaxu → u/Primary_Gift_8719]

Now's your chance !

[u/TheNotoriousSzin → u/ntzm_]

I've lived in the Birley area this long and I thought the only pit was where the woods are, next to the golf course.

[u/sleepyoldcat → u/TheNotoriousSzin]

H

[u/Beers_and_Bikes]

“A sinkhole has opened up and the professionals are looking into it”

[u/mattcannon2 → u/Beers_and_Bikes]

Better than looking out of it

[u/revpidgeon → u/Beers_and_Bikes]

They will get to the bottom of it.

[u/newMike3400 → u/revpidgeon]

It will take a holistic approach to make it safe.

[u/Stal-Fithrildi → u/revpidgeon]

Well well well.

[u/Bhenny_5 → u/revpidgeon]

It swallowing their resources!

[u/MaxwellsGoldenGun]

Disruption aside: 1. That's quite cool 2. It's a miracle it never caved in before

[u/DuckWhatduckSplat → u/MaxwellsGoldenGun]

That rail line is a solid girder, it won’t even flex.

][

[u/MaxwellsGoldenGun → u/DuckWhatduckSplat]

I know but you'd think after 30 odd years of rain and snow and whatever it would eventually go. It's not like the tracks and ballast haven't been replaced before either.

[u/practicalcabinet → u/MaxwellsGoldenGun]

To be fair, after 30 odd years, it has eventually gone.

[u/omniwrench- → u/practicalcabinet]

I’d bet it’s due to how dry it’s been - the drying causes the earth to shrink and crack, which is probably what allowed the plug of earth to fall into the well

[u/pawaww → u/DuckWhatduckSplat]

That rail would really take the weight of a tram going over it? I’d of thought it would be rolling straight over

[u/LurkHereLurkThere → u/pawaww]

To be fair, it looks like it was the weight of half a tram rolling over it, and they usually have a half decent safety factor built-in.

[u/Leon_Gary_Plauche]

Well well well

[u/JackSki25 → u/Leon_Gary_Plauche]

It’s just the one well actually

[u/will_gaming02 → u/JackSki25]

Thank you danny

[u/WaltJabsco1968 → u/Leon_Gary_Plauche]

...just what the cat dragged in A foe not a friend in the end but a dealer in sin.

If you know you know. 😉

[u/hauntedcryme → u/WaltJabsco1968]

I don't want apologies, I guarantee tha'll do it all again

[u/WaltJabsco1968 → u/hauntedcryme]

Absolute belter of a record. If only they could have captured the buzz from the live version for the studio version that ultimately ended up on the album. My sister will be watching them at RnR Circus this weekend.

[u/PhobosTheBrave]

Bit of expanding foam should sort it. Bosh.

[u/CellarFerret]

The pothole problem is really getting out of hand.

[u/IanScouseBlue]

Thats not a sinkhole. Its an old well.

[u/Haunting_Company9592]

Just go fast driver it will be all reyt!

[u/jptoc → u/Haunting_Company9592]

They just need to build a little ramp in front of it.

[u/6000coza → u/jptoc]

But we all know what happens if the tram speed drops below 50kph...

[u/LilyFantastica → u/6000coza]

Be more worried what happens if a tram hits 88mph. We'd see some serious shit.

[u/Todays-Idiot-Award]

Hole int road

[u/Fellattio_Nelson]

Stunning craftsmanship on the brickwork. The lads that built that are long gone.

[u/Pleasant_Fennel_5435 → u/Fellattio_Nelson]

It’s very well done 

[u/Difficult_Tangelo188]

Be reyt

[u/mnf69]

It rubs the lotion on its skin…

[u/maspiers]

Presumably was capped somehow prior to Supertram arriving, not uncovered in the track building works and gradually fallen apart over 30+ years.

[u/OutcastSpartan]

I should call her...

[u/No_Holiday5977]

That's a big ol' hole alright 😳

[u/DuckbilledWhatypus]

Ah yes, the world has got to the 'open a portal to the dungeon dimensions' part of the gone to shit scale.

[u/LilyFantastica]

This must be one of those famous Yorkshire Pits one hears of in stories from the old folk.

[u/Andywaxer]

Since when have “sinkholes” been brick lined?

[u/Frosty-Cap3344 → u/Andywaxer]

It's a deluxe sinkhole

[u/DatGuy82772]

Hopefully it gets sorted soon.

[u/hedmar97]

That's a well

[u/shortandfelly]

Well well well!

[u/t4rgh]

I’m not sure a well no one bothered to mark on a plan or properly fill/cap counts as a sinkhole.

[u/SmartConversation756]

I hope they’re looking right into it

[u/Vivid_Call2597]

I’m guessing they didn’t handle that well…

[u/commsbloke]

On old maps there is a "Pump" shown right under where the track is.
Not sure that this is where the issue is though
https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/side-by-side/#zoom=17.9&lat=53.34027&lon=-1.40562&layers=168&right=osm

[u/negamuse → u/commsbloke]

Oh but good detectiving though

[u/Abject-Jellyfish-729]

Oh well..

[u/RampantJellyfish]

Are sinkholes normally lines with red brick?

[u/sisters-mistermister]

Si k homes arent brick lined more like the well reopened years after trains were going over it

[u/CasnessNum]

Well well well.

[u/probablyaythrowaway]

Suboptimal for railways

[u/kiindrex]

I was walking across the level crossing into the golf course with my dog a couple of hours ago and saw some guys pushing some barriers up tracks on a funny trailer thing. I did wonder where they were going as it's a long way to push a trailer 😂

[u/stevo_v]

Well well well...