A massive £166m train project is set to completely revitalise a small town, being reconnected with the mainline in a move that has been dubbed the “most significant” growth opportunity in the North of England.
The new four-platform station will connect the South Yorkshire town of Rotherham with quick trains to northern powerhouses Sheffield and Leeds, as well as transport hub Doncaster. The plan also promises to have faster services and improved links to the North West, North East, the Midlands and local airports. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the new station would speed up journeys to Leeds by 30 minutes and York by 35 minutes.
The whopping investment will put the town back on the railway map, and will be the first time the town will be connected on a mainline for more than 50 years.
Based at Parkgate, the new Rotherham Gateway Station will incorporate both trains and Tram Train services as well as creating a brand new “innovation campus” just outside to completely redevelop the area.
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) bosses are set to approve another £11.35 million to kick start the next phase of the projects, looking at creating some exciting new designs and creating a plan for procurement.
Network Rail has predicted it could set the council back a pretty penny with the station estimated to cost between £133 million and £166 million.
The Mayors office has described the scheme as “the most significant growth and regeneration opportunity across the North of England”.
The report added: “At the heart of these plans is the proposal to radically enhance the connectivity of this site, not only within the borough and South Yorkshire, but to and from other centres of advanced manufacturing, international gateways and London with the development of a new Rotherham Gateway Station.”
Although some funding has already been raised, the scheme has not yet been officially signed off by the Department for Transport and if all goes to plan, would be set to be open by 2031.
In a promising sign for the South Yorkshire town, the plans fit nicely into the government’s Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme. The project in the wake of the HS2 debacle that aims to improve east-west connectivity across the North of England and connect up to the high speed train from London.
Along with the station and innovation centre, 100,000 sq ft of land has been marked off for green spaces and parks along plans for new cycling and walking paths to get to the station.
They also plan for minimal roadworks other than to create access as they create a 200 space car park to service the new hub.