EMT cuts city in half

Today East Midlands Trains carried out their threat to prevent pedestrians walking through the station. The result was utter chaos, with huge queues at the ticket office, people with valid tram tickets being sent away and various confrontations as people couldn’t understand why they couldn’t simply walk to work the way they always do.

By chance the Council were also meeting today and passed the following motion unanimously.

That this Council:-

(a) Is deeply concerned to learn that East Midlands Trains have begun
blocking off access through Sheffield Station to non-ticket holders by
deploying staff at each end of the Station;

(b) is outraged with the actions of East Midlands Trains who have
effectively cut our City in half and ignored the wishes of local people;

(c) notes with disappointment that East Midlands Trains have also outlined
that they will continue to work towards installing the barriers;

(d) welcomes the fact that the leader of Council has written an urgent
e-mail to the Secretary of State for Transport asking him to intervene on
this issue; and

(e) notes that only the Government can now stop East Midlands Trains
blocking off access through Sheffield Station and therefore calls on the
Secretary of State for Transport to urgently intervene and withdraw the
clause in the franchise which asks for gating to be installed.

There will undoubtedly be more protests at this attack on our integrated transport system (such as it is!)- the bridge that has been closed to pedestrians links the rail network to the tram and bus system. Watch this space!