New rail plan with new station welcomed — but Rotherham Council still dead against HS2 route

Cllr Read said the new mainline station proposed in a regional rail blueprint would “undo decades of damage”, ease road congestion and boost the local economy.

The station’s site has not been selected yet but it would connect Rotherham to the Midland Mainline.

The integrated rail plan also includes proposals for:

• a new HS2 station in Goldthorpe - which would service a spur line between Sheffield and the main Leeds-London line and kill off the idea of a South Yorkshire “parkway” station.
• a new station for Waverley and the Advanced Manufacturing Park.
• the extension of the Tram Train service.

Cllr Read cautiously welcomed all these plans but said the council remained set against the controversial “M18 route”, which will involve major disruption for residents in Bramley, Aston and other areas.

“A new mainline station in a central area of the borough, returning intercity connections for the first time in 30 years, would help to undo decades of damage to Rotherham’s rail connectivity,” he said.

“If done correctly, it would create significant opportunities to improve access to jobs and encourage economic development. 

“A new station to connect Waverley and the Advanced Manufacturing Park would not only relieve pressure on the local road network but also open up access to job opportunities from the south of the borough, and making permanent and extending the tram-train pilot will be critical to ensure many existing journeys are not stopped as a consequence of HS2.

“We have argued throughout that any rail plan must ensure that travellers using all the existing stations in the borough would see improvements and not reductions in service.

“However, in relation to HS2, I want to be clear that these proposals do not change the council’s position. 

“The so-called M18 route is not to Rotherham’s advantage - it will bring years of disruption during construction and it should be scrapped.”

Cllr Read added he was “unconvinced” about high-speed services stopping at Goldthorpe but not against improving services in the village.

Further plans for Rotherham include tram-train extensions to Magna, Doncaster, Doncaster Airport, Waverley and potential residential areas such as the Bassingthorpe Farm site, park and ride/station access improvements at the Kiveton stations, as well as expanding Parkgate’s park and ride service.

The plans are expected to be agreed at next week’s Sheffield City Region combined authority meeting before being submitted to the Department for Transport.

Cllr Read added: “We will agree to the plan because we want to improve the train infrastructure across South Yorkshire but will continue to lobby our own position regarding HS2.”

HS2 Action Group co-ordinator Grant Moremont, who lives in Hooton Roberts, said: “Everyone knows this is a bad idea. 

“Wherever the station is along the Dearne Valley means lots of devastation for many communities.

“This doesn’t benefit Yorkshire, its people or HS2 itself. 

“The consensus which would work for everyone was having a station at Meadowhall or [a new] Victoria station in Sheffield. Since it was changed to Midland [Sheffield’s central station], 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.”

Regional mayor Dan Jarvis said publishing the plan was a landmark moment and its contents would “revolutionise rail travel for our communities”.