Three rail South Yorkshire rail schemes rejected by Government but one goes onto next stage

The Government has asked for a comprehensive plan to reopen the Barrow Hill line linking Sheffield and Chesterfield.

The scheme would propose new stations in Beighton and potentially a station serving Killamarsh, Eckington and Renishaw.

But a number of other schemes including a station at Askern in Doncaster and reopening a disused line to serve Stocksbridge in the north of Sheffield have been knocked back.

Another scheme linking Barnsley to Wakefield via a new station at Royston has also been rejected.

The Sheffield City Region, along with MPs, do have the chance to submit bids again on the rejected proposals

The Department for Transport (DfT) said on the Sheffield Victoria to Stocksbridge via Deepcar line, they had concerns around the financial implications of reopening the now defunct Sheffield Victoria station and that the project ‘needs to establish the impact on freight services’.

MP Miriam Cates, with support from the Chair of the Don Valley Railway group, is working to address the DfT feedback and are planning the scheme.

Similar issues were sent to campaigners and Doncaster North MP Ed Miliband regarding the new station at Askern and the reopening of the line from Doncaster to Leeds via Knottingley in West Yorkshire. The group also plans to resubmit the proposal.

On the plan to reopen Barnsley to Wakefield line with new station in Royston, Barnsley Council has sought further advice from Network Rail on the feedback provided and are looking to address the points raised to re-submit again.

The key aspects to address are the implication for the existing services including freight services, the reinstatement of the missing section of line and the ‘clear justification’ for why rail is the solution for the problems identified.

But the mayoral combined authority has been successful in securing support to progress the Sheffield to Chesterfield via Barrow Hill line.

Work is now being undertaken by the MCA team, in support of the sponsoring MP Lee Rowley and the council partners to develop a strategic outline business case for the project.

The aim of the project team is to submit the SOBC for Barrow Hill to the Department for Transport (DfT) before the end of the calendar year.

The appropriate budget and resources are agreed and in place to achieve this.

Neal Byer, strategic transport officer at Sheffield City Region, said: “The submission of each of the bids to the Restoring Your Railway Fund will provide the opportunity to deliver the SCR Integrated Rail Plan.

“There is strong support for the projects from officers and MPs to make the submissions and to continue to support the business cases for the successful schemes.”

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