It's time for Sheffield to enjoy more fast trains and lower fares

This is not a new development but its success cannot be overstated, especially for Yorkshire and hopefully Sheffield is about to enjoy the same benefits. Since the mid-2000s two intercity train operators, Grand Central and Hull Trains have run services in competition with the mainline train franchise holder which has resulted in lower fares, more routes, happier passengers and better services. In contrast Sheffield has just one monopoly service to London run by East Midlands Trains, but this is hopefully about to change and would represent a big win for passengers, business and inward investment.

A new application to launch a rival high speed train service between London King’s Cross and Sheffield, via Retford, Worksop and Woodhouse has been submitted by First Group which runs Britain’s most popular train company, Hull Trains. It also runs the popular LUMO service between London, Newcastle and Edinburgh and is increasingly attracting passengers from the London – Scotland air market onto rail. Initially the plan is for two return services a day using modern five carriage high speed trains with an average London to Sheffield journey time of 2hrs 5mins. If it secures official regulator approval the service could start in June next year.

At the moment Sheffield travellers, particularly in the east of the city have faster end to end journey times and cheaper rail fares if they drive to Doncaster to catch a London bound train, rather than travelling direct from Sheffield to London St Pancras. Sheffield has lower rail journey rates than might be expected for such an important city relative to its 162 mile distance to London. It has high frequency but comparatively long train journey times (2hr 10) which clearly leads to some passengers instead driving to Doncaster where three high speed train companies compete on the 156 mile journey to London. It takes just 1hr 20 and off peak fares can be up to 30% cheaper than East Midlands Trains services to St Pancras.

Another sign of Sheffield’s comparatively poor rail choices and lack of train competition is the high volume of car and coach journeys between the city and London. While journey times are longer coach fares are cheaper which obviously shows passengers want to see better priced trains. Rail’s share of the Sheffield to London passenger market is just 20% which shows the huge potential for better and cheaper train travel. This can deliver significant modal shift from road to rail which benefits the environment and eases road congestion.

The new proposal would also give Woodhouse and Worksop direct fast links with London and much better connections with Sheffield.

A key benefit of faster, cheaper, more and better rail links is the key boost it gives to a region’s economic attractiveness and inward investment. Sheffield and South Yorkshire has already taken a lead with the University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) alongside the county being chosen last year as the UK’s first Advanced Manufacturing Investment Zone. Similarly, the Advanced Manufacturing Park at Waverley is close to Woodhouse station and the proposed service will hugely improve this key site’s connectivity with London.

Regional growth, inward investment, social mobility, better life chances and high-skilled job creation will always be intrinsically linked with good transport connections and good quality infrastructure. For example, where towns and cities enjoy fast and competitively priced rail connections then their task of attracting inward investment, better jobs and higher education hubs is immediately made easier.

Importantly, new economic analysis from ARUP shows what can be achieved. Hull Trains services which connect Beverley, Hull, Selby and Doncaster with London has delivered between £185-£380m in extra local benefits since the service was approved by Tony Blair’s Labour Government in 2000. These figures are expected to grow to between £325 and £700m by 2032. Prior to Hull Trains starting operations there was just one direct daily train in each direction between London and Hull. Similarly, the Blair government also oversaw the approval of new fast Grand Central services to Doncaster, Bradford, Wakefield, Pontefract, Halifax and York in the mid and late 2000s. All of these services compete with the state backed LNER service.

These direct rail links have boosted inward investment and done more for ‘levelling up’ and regeneration than a host of Whitehall schemes.

Sheffield last enjoyed a fast connection with London King's Cross in 1968 when British Rail axed the then 'Sheffield Pullman' service. Hopefully the city’s rail users, civil leaders and business community can now work to support this ambitious plan and deliver a new fast rail service on the 200th anniversary of the world’s first ever passenger train. The steel city deserves nothing less.

Tony lodge is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies and author of Rail’s Second Chance – putting competition back on track