THE UK’S first Tram Train will welcome on board its first passengers in three weeks, it was announced today (Thursday 4 October) by Tram Train partners Stagecoach Supertram, Network Rail and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE).Passengers in South Yorkshire will be the first in the country to benefit from the innovative Tram Trains - a special tram vehicle, designed to run on both the city’s tramlines and the rail network between Sheffield and Rotherham, from Thursday 25th October 2018.The Tram Trains, which will allow passengers to make a single continuous journey connecting tram stops and conventional rail stations, have completed extensive testing and Tram Train drivers have been trained to drive on the extended system over the railway.The Government funded programme is a partnership between SYPTE, Network Rail, Stagecoach Supertram and Northern Rail to pilot this pioneering technology.Tram Train Project Board Member Steve Davenport from SYPTE said: “As project partner we are thrilled, to introduce Tram Train services on South Yorkshire’s transport network later this month. The pioneering pilot has the ability to transform travel both locally and nationally. Connecting the people and places in Sheffield and Rotherham marks the start of this journey. We hope passengers from the local area and beyond enjoy the benefits this new transport option will provide.”Councillor Jack Scott, cabinet member for transport and development at SCC, said: “This is fantastic news for people in Rotherham and especially Sheffield. We have much in common and this link, the first of its kind in the country, is in keeping with our pioneering spirit.“Tram-train will change people’s lives for the better, strengthen our shared economies and make a real difference to journey times.“It also shows our confidence in our Supertram network and an ambition to extend it further in the future.“This technology has the potential to be rolled out further across the country and continue to promote our strong and thriving sustainable transport network.”Three Tram Trains an hour will travel on the Supertram network from Sheffield Cathedral to Meadowhall South, before proceeding over a new section of track linking the tram line to the rail track called the Tinsley Chord, and on to the national rail network to Parkgate Retail Centre via Rotherham Central station.Tickets for the service will be available from conductors on board.South Yorkshire’s Tram Train pilot will run for two years while customer satisfaction, passenger numbers, reliability and costs are tested. Tram Train will continue to run as a local service if the pilot is successful.