Public transport in South Yorkshire

Public transport in South Yorkshire, England mainly consists of three modes: bus, tram and train. Passengers can switch between these modes of transport at various interchanges operated by the South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority (under the passenger-facing brand Travel South Yorkshire).

Ticketing

Single-modal tickets

On buses and trams, single and multi-trip tickets can be purchased on-board. These are usually only valid for travel with the same operator. At the start of 2023, a £2 single fare cap was introduced on buses and trams as part of a nationwide scheme to combat the cost of living crisis.^[1] In November 2023 the tram fare cap was raised to £2.80,^[2] and on 1st January 2025, the bus fare cap was increased to £3 in line with the national fare cap scheme.^[3][4] Tram fares also increased again.

Multi-modal tickets

Travel South Yorkshire sells a range of multi-modal tickets on behalf of the public transport operators of South Yorkshire, including city-wide or countywide Travelmaster tickets.^[5] These are generally in the form of smart card tickets and can be used with any operator within the valid area.

Concessions

Various concessionary travel schemes are available for young people and students, senior citizens and the mobility impaired.

Child fares and 'Zoom' travel passes

There is a single reduced fare for children under 11 across all buses and trams. Children between 11 and 18 years old who live in South Yorkshire can get a free Zoom Under 16 or Zoom 16-18, which must be shown to travel at the child fare.^[6] Young people under 21 can get a Zoom Beyond 18-21 travel pass if they live in South Yorkshire, permitting the user to travel at reduced single fares on trams and some buses.^[7][8] This is also available to students 21 or younger who only live in South Yorkshire during term-time. There are also Zoom Zero passes which allow primary and secondary school students to travel to and from school for free - these can be purchased or funded by a local council if eligible.

Student fares

Most operators offer reduced fares to students if shown a valid student ID. However, the exact fares can vary between operators. This may include both single and multi-day tickets.

Disabled passes

Residents with some disabilities may be eligible for a free Disabled pass, which entitles them to free bus services within England and free tram services within South Yorkshire, along with free Northern train journeys between South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.^[9] There is also the +Carer pass, which allows a carer to travel with the pass holder, and the Visually Impaired pass, which allows the holder to show the card to the driver instead of scanning it.

Senior pass

South Yorkshire residents who have reached state pension age are eligible for a free Senior pass, which entitles them to free bus services within England and free tram services within South Yorkshire during certain times of day.^[10] It also gives half-price tickets for Northern trains, and some free journeys to hospital appointments with some operators.

Bus

Bus services

Since 1994, most bus routes in South Yorkshire have been operated by private companies. These include First, Stagecoach, TM Travel, and Hulleys of Baslow.^[11] There are some free "Sheffield Connect" bus services funded by SYMCA that operate in a loop though Sheffield city centre.^[12]

Bus interchanges

Travel South Yorkshire operate nine bus interchanges^[13] and several smaller stations, many of which have been newly built or refurbished in the early 2000s. These bus interchanges provide a hub for local, regional and sometimes national bus and coach services, and in some locations also provide an interchange facility onto tram and rail services.

Main interchanges^[13]

Name	Image	Location	Train station	Tram stop	Tram lines
					Blue	Yellow	Purple	Tram Train
Adwick Interchange		Church Lane, Adwick le Street, Doncaster	Adwick	None
Barnsley Interchange		Eldon Street North, Barnsley	Barnsley	None
Doncaster Interchange		Frenchgate Shopping Centre, Doncaster	Doncaster	None
Meadowhall Interchange		Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Sheffield	Meadowhall	Meadowhall Interchange		✓
Rotherham Interchange		Frederick Street, Rotherham	Rotherham Central (200m)	Rotherham Central (200m)				✓
Sheffield Interchange		Pond Square, Sheffield	Sheffield (200m)	Sheffield Station / Sheffield Hallam University (250m)	✓		✓
				Castle Square (250m)	✓	✓	✓	✓

'Mini' interchanges:

• Arundel Gate Interchange ( Castle Square, 150m)
• Dinnington Interchange
• Hillsborough Interchange

Smaller stations:

• Crystal Peaks Bus Station
• Grimethorpe Interchange
• Manor Top Bus Stop
• Mexborough Interchange ( Mexborough, 300m)

Tram

Main article: South Yorkshire Supertram

A tram at the Cathedral Tram Stop.

The South Yorkshire Supertram is operated by the South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority,^[14] and runs regular services across four lines connecting various areas of Sheffield and Rotherham:^[15]

• Blue: Halfway - Malin Bridge
• Purple: Herdings Park - Cathedral
• Yellow: Meadowhall Interchange - Middlewood
• Tram-Train: Rotherham Parkgate - Cathedral

Single/return journey tickets can be purchased on-board, or multi-day tickets can be purchased online. Single long-journey tickets allow changing lines and are valid for 1 hour travelling in the same direction.

Rail

Stations

There are multiple railway stations in each of the four towns/cities of South Yorkshire. Regional services to destinations across the UK are available from Barnsley, Doncaster, Sheffield, and Meadowhall Interchange.

All stations with National Rail services are listed below (in no particular order):

Passenger rail stations in South Yorkshire^[16][17]

Barnsley	Doncaster	Rotherham	Sheffield
Barnsley Penistone Silkstone Common Dodworth Darton Wombwell Elsecar Thurnscoe Goldthorpe Bolton-upon-Dearne	Doncaster Adwick Bentley Hatfield & Stainforth Kirk Sandall Conisborough Mexborough Thorne North Thorne South	Rotherham Central Swinton Kiveton Bridge Kiveton Park	Sheffield Meadowhall Interchange Dore & Totley Darnall Woodhouse Chapeltown

Opened and re-opened stations

Eleven new stations were opened by SYPTE between 1983 and 1993. Many of these were re-opened former stations previously closed in the 1960s under the Beeching cuts, but not all; Goldthorpe and Thurnscoe were entirely new stations, Rotherham Central was built to replace the closing Rotherham Masborough which was further away from Rotherham town centre, and Meadowhall Interchange was built to serve the new Meadowhall Shopping Centre. Rotherham Parkgate, the terminus of the Sheffield Supertram tram-train pilot scheme from Sheffield city centre, opened in October 2018.^[18]

• 1983 – Silkstone Common
• 1984 – Chapeltown (station re-sited)
• 1987 – Rotherham Central
• 1988 – Goldthorpe; Thurnscoe
• 1989 – Dodworth
• 1990 – Meadowhall Interchange; Swinton
• 1991 – Kirk Sandall
• 1992 – Bentley
• 1993 – Adwick
• 2018 – Rotherham Parkgate (tram-train stop)

Routes

Stations in italics are located outside of the South Yorkshire CMA area.

Hallam Line	Wakefield Line	Dearne Valley Line	Penistone Line	Sheffield–Leeds via Castleford Line
Operators: Northern Trains, East Midlands Railway Leeds Wakefield Kirkgate Barnsley Interchange Meadowhall Interchange Sheffield Dronfield Chesterfield Alfreton Langley Mill Ilkeston Nottingham	Operators: Northern Trains, CrossCountry Sheffield Meadowhall Interchange Rotherham Central Swinton Bolton-upon-Dearne Goldthorpe Thurnscoe Moorthorpe [A] Fitzwilliam Sandal & Agbrigg Wakefield Westgate Outwood Leeds	Operators: Northern Trains Sheffield Meadowhall Interchange Rotherham Central Swinton Moorthorpe [A] Pontefract Baghill Sherburn-in-Elmet Church Fenton Ulleskelf York	Operators: Northern Trains Sheffield Meadowhall Interchange Chapeltown Elsecar Wombwell Barnsley Interchange Dodworth Silkstone Common Penistone Denby Dale [A] Shepley Stocksmoor Brockholes Honley Berry Brow Lockwood Huddersfield	Operators: Northern Trains Sheffield Meadowhall Interchange Chapeltown Elsecar Wombwell Barnsley Interchange Darton Wakefield Kirkgate Normanton Castleford Woodlesford Leeds

Hope Valley Line	Sheffield–Hull Line	Adwick–Lincoln Line	Doncaster–Leeds Line	Doncaster–Scunthorpe Line	Sheffield–Rotherham tram-train
Operators: Northern Trains, East Midlands Railway, TransPennine Express Sheffield Dore & Totley Grindleford Hathersage Bamford Hope Edale Chinley New Mills Central Marple Romiley Manchester Piccadilly	Operators: Northern Trains, CrossCountry, TransPennine Express Sheffield Meadowhall Interchange Rotherham Central Swinton Mexborough Conisbrough Doncaster Kirk Sandall Hatfield & Stainforth Thorne North Goole Saltmarshe Gilberdyke Brough Ferriby Hessle Hull Paragon Interchange	Operators: Northern Trains, CrossCountry, TransPennine Express Adwick Bentley Doncaster Conisbrough Mexborough Swinton Rotherham Central Meadowhall Interchange Sheffield Darnall Woodhouse Kiveton Bridge Kiveton Park Shireoaks Worksop Retford Gainsborough Lea Road Saxilby Lincoln	Operators: Northern Trains, Grand Central, London North Eastern Railway Doncaster Bentley Adwick South Elmsall [A] Fitzwilliam Sandal & Agbrigg Wakefield Westgate Outwood Leeds	Operators: Northern Trains, TransPennine Express Doncaster Kirk Sandall Hatfield & Stainforth Thorne South Crowle Althorpe Scunthorpe	Operators: Sheffield Supertram Cathedral Castle Square Fitzalan Square Ponds Forge Hyde Park Cricket Inn Road Nunnery Square Park & Ride Woodbourn Road Attercliffe Arena for Olympic Legacy Park Valley Centertainment Carbrook for IKEA Tinsley Meadowhall South Rotherham Central Rotherham Parkgate

Notes:

^A – Station is located in West Yorkshire, but TSY multi-modal TravelMaster tickets are valid to and from these railway stations.

Historical

Tramways

Main articles: Sheffield Tramway, Rotherham Tramway, Doncaster Tramway, and Barnsley Tramway

Before the Sheffield Supertram there used to tramway networks across each town in South Yorkshire. The Sheffield Tramway was the largest and the longest lasting, opening in 1873 and closing in 1960.^[19] Some of the trams used on the Sheffield Tramway are now at the National Tramway Museum.

Trolleybus

Main article: Trolleybuses in Doncaster § Doncaster Racecourse experiment

In 1985, the SYPTE purchased an Alexander RH bodied Dennis Dominator trolleybus with a view to reintroducing a trolleybus network. A one mile section on Sandall Beat Road alongside Doncaster Racecourse was wired.^[20] However with deregulation in 1986, the project was shelved.