South Yorkshire flooding: Rotherham railway station reopens after Storm Franklin

Network Rail teams worked through the night to fix and test the tracks at Rotherham Central Station so that the railway was able to reopen today (February 23), after heavy rainfall left the tracks flooded.

Engineers spent three days pumping water away from the railway between Aldwarke and Tinsley. As water levels reduced, further damage was uncovered and this has required additional repairs.

Rail passengers are able to call at Rotherham central as normal, as normal service times resumed this morning. Tram Train services between Tinsley and Parkgate are also back in action.

The pre-emptive decision to close the station was made on February 19 based on the Environment Agency's river level readings at the time. By acting before any flooding hit the station, Network Rail engineers were able to remove critical equipment from the ground, which has proved crucial to reducing the impact of flood damage.

Matt Rice, North and East route director for Network Rail said: “Storms Franklin, Dudley and Eunice have brought relentless challenges for the railway over the last week, including significant flooding in Rotherham.

“Our teams have worked 24/7 to pump water away from the tracks and work towards getting the railway back up and running for passengers in South Yorkshire. I’d like to thank people for bearing with us as we deliver a safe and reliable railway.”

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Storm Franklin brought heavy rainfall across South Yorkshire last week, causing several rivers to burst their banks and leading to several local flooding events.

The tracks at Rotherham Central Station were under water on February 21 and trains were unable to call there for the rest of the day and the following day.

British Transport Police said at the time: “Rotherham station resembles the canals of Venice! Wind and rain is having an impact on the network this morning with delays and cancellations in place, the advice is to check before you travel.”

Bus replacement services were also unavailable, and Stagecoach Supertram suspended its Train-Tram service.