Transport chiefs announce Barnsley village of Goldthorpe will get a HS2 station

Metro mayor Dan Jarvis has said Goldthorpe will get a HS2 station

A report published by the Sheffield City Region has outlined plans to build a HS2 site in Goldthorpe called ‘Barnsley Dearne Valley’. The idea has the backing of metro mayor Dan Jarvis, all four South Yorkshire Councils, Transport for the North (TfN) and HS2 Ltd.

This reaffirms the plan for Sheffield Midland station to run HS2 trains through the city centre and the much criticised ‘spur’ into the former pit village and the demolition of an estate in Mexborough.

Barnsley Council leader Sir Steve Houghton welcomed the decision but its understood access to the high-speed line was the council’s ‘first preference’.

Land to the east of the Barnsley village of Goldthorpe is down for an HS2 station

The route has been criticised by many as HS2 trains leaving Sheffield Midland on the so-called spur will not reach top speeds compared to the main route.

The spur leaves Sheffield to the north, stops at Goldthorpe station before carrying on rejoining the high-speed line at Hemsworth near Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

The wider city region transport plan includes the creation of a new Midland Main Line station in Rotherham; an East Coast Main Line railway station at Doncaster Sheffield Airport; extension of the Tram-Train, the upgrade of the Hope Valley Line to Manchester; and significant upgrades of the railway stations at both Sheffield and Chesterfield, to accommodate HS2 services.

But HS2 Action Group coordinator Grant Mormont who lives in Hooton Roberts in Rotherham said: “Everyone knows this is a bad idea. Wherever the station is along the Dearne Valley means lots of devastation for many communities.

An artist's impression of how HS2 could look

“This doesn’t benefit Yorkshire, it’s people of HS2 itself. The consensus which would work for everyone was having a station at Meadowhall or Victoria in Sheffield. Since it was changed to Midland, it’s clear this system does not benefit anyone.

“I think politicians are probably trying to save face after the location changed and feel like they can’t change it for a second time.”

Coun Sir Steve Houghton, leader of Barnsley Council, said: "The SCR Integrated Rail plan will help us to deliver our Barnsley rail vision, as well as supporting connectivity across the whole of South Yorkshire. Barnsley's aspirations are ambitious and dependent on the support of our partners to make this a reality.

"The Integrated Rail Plan states that we will continue to explore securing a station on the HS2 mainline as a long term aspiration, which when combined with the proposes station on the Northern Powerhouse Rail network, would give our residents and businesses greater access to the network.

“I'm pleased to see that the SCR Integrated Rail plan includes proposals for a new Barnsley Dearne Valley railway station, with the preferred location on a site in Goldthorpe. This would be a great addition to the Dearne Valley area.”

Sheffield City Region mayor Dan Jarvis said: "A new station in the Dearne Valley, on the Northern Powerhouse Rail network, will offer potentially transformational regeneration opportunities for that area. I look forward to working with the Department for Transport to ensure that sits alongside essential investment in the surrounding road network, especially at the pinch point around Hickleton and Marr.”