Sheffield station: Plan to tackle station gridlock unveiled as government provides thousands

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The Government has provided thousands to tackle traffic chaos at Sheffield station - as a radical plan is unveiled to fix it.

The Department for Transport has given East Midlands Railway £166,000 to “develop a plan for their stations” and £65,000 to revamp the cycle hub at Sheffield station to boost alternative travel and cut gridlock at busy times.

It comes amid “finger pointing” as taxis, private hire cars and private cars jockey for space on Cross Turner Street.

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Sheffield transport guru Peter Kennan has tabled a plan to fix traffic chaos at Sheffield station using the EMR car park on Turner Street.Sheffield transport guru Peter Kennan has tabled a plan to fix traffic chaos at Sheffield station using the EMR car park on Turner Street.
Sheffield transport guru Peter Kennan has tabled a plan to fix traffic chaos at Sheffield station using the EMR car park on Turner Street. | NW / Google

The row has prompted Sheffield transport guru Peter Kennan to table a plan to tackle it, which involves turning an EMR staff car park into the public pick-up point.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We are aware of the concerns around private hire vehicles using the taxi rank at Sheffield Station and have asked East Midlands Railway to address this issue.

“We have also provided £166,000 for East Midlands Railway to develop a longer-term plan for their stations, and £65,000 for Sheffield Station’s cycle hub to encourage alternative travel, to reduce congestion.”

The public drop off area at Sheffield station, top right, should be moved to the EMR car park on Turner Street, bottom left. And private hire cars moved to the drop off area, Peter Kennan says.The public drop off area at Sheffield station, top right, should be moved to the EMR car park on Turner Street, bottom left. And private hire cars moved to the drop off area, Peter Kennan says.
The public drop off area at Sheffield station, top right, should be moved to the EMR car park on Turner Street, bottom left. And private hire cars moved to the drop off area, Peter Kennan says. | Google

A further £80,000 had been provided to improve ventilation on the taxi rank canopy to cut air pollution, they added.

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Black cab and private hire drivers complain they spend hours in traffic at peak times, costing them business, causing passengers to miss trains and creating air pollution.

Cabbies are refusing to pay their £700 annual permit to East Midlands Railway, EMR has blamed private hire vehicles for unauthorised pick-ups outside the station, and private hire vehicles - and many Star readers - have blamed the road layout, which sees all vehicles using the same entry and exit point.

Peter Kennan, a veteran Sheffield transport guru, said there had been “finger pointing all round” but the real reason for congestion was an increase in passengers from 3.5m to 8.7m in the past 25 years.

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He suggests turning an EMR staff car park on Turner Street into the public pick-up/drop off point and moving the staff parking to the upper floors of the Q-Park, which is “rarely full.”

He also recommends relocating private hire vehicles to the existing public drop-off area and making Fornham Street, Cross Turner Street and Turner Street one-way, to “reduce conflicting flows.”

Finally, he believes there should be no public vehicular access beyond the Q-Park corner (the junction of Turner and Cross Turner Street).

Cabbies say they are gridlocked for hours at Sheffield station.Cabbies say they are gridlocked for hours at Sheffield station.
Cabbies say they are gridlocked for hours at Sheffield station. | NW

Mr Kennan said: “You can’t expect to keep growing demand without any investment in infrastructure. EMR these days just gets a fee for running the train service. The investment needs to come from DfT who pocket all the rail fares.”

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An East Midlands Railway spokesperson said: “We are in regular dialogue with the drivers who use the taxi rank and are exploring a number of measures to reduce the existing congestion and improve access for station users.

“These plans will be shared once the practicalities have been fully worked through. In the meantime, we will continue collaborating with our local partners to explore options for achieving this long-term objective.”

A huge plot in front of the station which has been empty for 18 years has been ruled out of any solution. Owned by Homes England, it has been earmarked for development.

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