Could Rotherham Masborough Reopen?

[Jorge Da Silva]

I have wondered whether there is a case to reopen Rotherham Masborough as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail or just for general InterCity/TransPennine Services.

 

[Masbroughlad]

I grew up in Rotherham and spent many happy hours there. Back in the 70s and 80s you could catch trains to most parts of the UK. Plenty of excursion and weekend overnight services, freights, light locos etc. There was often a lone class 20 or 08 running up and down the line behind platform one - I assume shunting wagons in the sidings just South of the station? Houses there now.

I would love to see it reopened, but it would be an enormous job. A thriving Indian restaurant is housed in the main building.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

I grew up in Rotherham and spent many happy hours there. Back in the 70s and 80s you could catch trains to most parts of the UK. Plenty of excursion and weekend overnight services, freights, light locos etc. There was often a lone class 20 or 08 running up and down the line behind platform one - I assume shunting wagons in the sidings just South of the station? Houses there now.

I would love to see it reopened, but it would be an enormous job. A thriving Indian restaurant is housed in the main building.

Surely it would be better for Rotherham and allow better connections for the town.

 

[MarkyT]

I think not. I would expand Central station and build a new connection from Sheffield across the scrapyard. Central is nearer the the centre of town and has local train and tram interchange as well as being close to the main bus station The new connection could ease curvature too allowing higher through and run-in speeds.

 

[MarkyT]

I think not. I would expand Central station and build a new connection from Sheffield across the scrapyard. Central is nearer the the centre of town and has local train and tram interchange as well as being close to the main bus station The new connection could ease curvature too allowing higher through and run-in speeds.

Sorry that wasn't what I meant to do! I just wanted to add the image to my original comment rather than reply to myself, but I clicked the wrong button...

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Is there enough room to expand Central?

Plus it would cost a bombshell to build that link it would be more feasible to build Masborough than doing all that.

 

[MarkyT]

Is there enough room to expand Central?

Not within existing railway land, but the west side of the station is all presumably fairly low value light industrial and brownfield, probably ripe for some denser development associated with station improvements. Note the existing curve on the approach from Sheffield to the old Masborough site is under 400m radius, whereas my new curve would be more like 700m radius. The current single track Holmes chord link could be abandoned for passenger service in connection with this work and the alignment and track handed over to Booths to become their new siding access.

 

[johnnychips]

Why bother? Rotherham Central is...er, central to the town with parking, TPE and Northern wouldn’t want to stop their Hull and Cleethorpes services there having just stopped at Meadowhall. XC certainly wouldn’t stop as they don’t even stop at Meadowhall between Sheffield and Doncaster.

Sure, the Holmes Chord isn’t wonderful but it doesn’t seem to cause too many delays.

 

[Ianno87]

I think not. I would expand Central station and build a new connection from Sheffield across the scrapyard. Central is nearer the the centre of town and has local train and tram interchange as well as being close to the main bus station The new connection could ease curvature too allowing higher through and run-in speeds.

Careful! The diversion via Central is in effect an overtaking loop - sending everything that way will have a big capacity impact.

 

[MarkyT]

Why bother? Rotherham Central is...er, central to the town with parking, TPE and Northern wouldn’t want to stop their Hull and Cleethorpes services there having just stopped at Meadowhall. XC certainly wouldn’t stop as they don’t even stop at Meadowhall between Sheffield and Doncaster.

Sure, the Holmes Chord isn’t wonderful but it doesn’t seem to cause too many delays.

A better station could change things dramatically. Perhaps the current Meadowhall stops in the TPEs etc could be substituted by a Rotherham call. HS2/NPR services between Sheffield and Leeds could call. A major regeneration of the town centre might be possible. My curve idea could even speed up non stop services significantly.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Rotherham Central has very little capacity and any expansion would be expensive and Masborough or Parkgate (has been proposed for a rail station) would be much more feasible to provide regional services (TPE/Northern Connect).

 

[MarkyT]

Careful! The diversion via Central is in effect an overtaking loop - sending everything that way will have a big capacity impact.

Four platforms at the redeveloped Central, thus:

 

[johnnychips]

Rotherham Central has very little capacity and any expansion would be expensive and Masborough or Parkgate (has been proposed for a rail station) would be much more feasible to provide regional services (TPE/Northern Connect).

See three posts above. Why would anybody stop at Masborough?

 

[yorkie]

Trains are not going to stop at any Rotherham station "instead of" Meadowhall.

What services would be proposed for Masborough anyway?

 

[Bevan Price]

Reopening Masborough would enable Rotherham to regain some long distance services without the need to use the slower route via Central. However, it is extremely unlikely to happen whilst we have a DfT and the silly franchise system.

 

[yorkie]

Reopening Masborough would enable Rotherham to regain some long distance services without the need to use the slower route via Central. However, it is extremely unlikely to happen whilst we have a DfT and the silly franchise system.

I'm not convinced of the need to stop long distance services there. You can't stop long distance services everywhere. There is a more convenient station in Rotherham with a service to Sheffield (or Wakefield/Doncaster) where long distance services can be taken.

Also some of those services need to go non-stop through Rotherham because they are overtaking trains that are calling at Rotherham Central.

 

[MarkyT]

I'm totally against reopening Masborough as a separate entity, but even without the new platforms at Rotherham Central, my diversion through the scrap yard would remove a 50mph restriction on the main line through the ~400m radius curve near the old station, on a line that is otherwise ~90mph in the vicinity. My 700m radius might allow up to 75mph or more.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

http://www.rothbiz.co.uk/2018/10/news-6002-new-rotherham-station-would.html

New stations in Rotherham and in the Dearne Valley on a proposed "Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR)" line could boost the economic benefits for the Sheffield city region (SCR) from HS2.

Independent economic analysis also highlights the need for improved intra-regional connectivity in order to benefit the most from the £55.7 billion project.

The SCR has been provided with £1.3m in Government funding to study the impacts of the new route and how it can get the most out of HS2. The best scenario in the study is for HS2 stations at Sheffield Midland and Chesterfield and NPR stations at Rotherham and the Dearne Valley.

The Government has been urged to include a HS2 parkway station in the SCR and a Northern loop out of Sheffield Midland, which at present is only set to be served by a spur.

Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) is a rapid, reliable and resilient rail network between the North's six biggest cities and other economic centres. With continued research and analysis, Transport for the North is creating clear, fully-costed proposals for the multi-billion-pound scheme.

Initial findings from the delayed HS2 study include an analysis of including NPR parkway stations at Dearne Valley and Rotherham, which show that the economic benefit to the SCR increases to £1.3 billion over a 60 year appraisal period. Up from the £970m with HS2 stops just at Sheffield and Chesterfield.

The study, by Arup, Cushman & Wakefield and Ekosgen, also looks at wider economic benefits and shows that the two HS2 stations could help boost annual GVA above baseline figures by between £1.3 billion and £2.47 billion. With additional NPR stations, annual GVA could be boosted by £2.7 billion.

In terms of additional jobs, the HS2 stations could add between 11,930 and 23,270 jobs based on low and high growth scenarios. With additional NPR stations, an additional 24,060 could be created.

Advertisement
The research states: "The economic evidence and strategic policy framework point towards two new intermediate NPR stations between Sheffield and Leeds at Rotherham, and the Dearne Towns as having the most transformative economic potential (recognising that Meadowhall can be connected to the HS2 hub at Sheffield through fast, high frequency public transport services).

"These new stations would transform the strategic connectivity of Rotherham and the Dearne Towns, achieving a stem-change in accessibility to the labour markets of Leeds and Sheffield as well as the national network. By doing so they can also provide a catalyst for accelerated regeneration and housing growth in the surrounding areas.

"Proposals for local transport improvements and reviewing planning policies in the context of the new stations would help maximise the benefits, and ensure development complements the role of nearby town centres."

Previous studies have shown that the only practical and cost effective way to enhance rail connectivity to Rotherham is to consider providing a new railway station on the mainline to take advantage of services that currently pass through the borough but do not stop.

Locations for a potential NPR stations for Rotherham or the Dearne have not been named. Best guesses for Rotherham would be on the mainline at the station at Masbrough that closed in 1987, or at Parkgate. "Rotherham Rail Station (Parkway)" is still a project in the SCR's Integrated Transport Block which sets out how to used Government funds and grants for sustainable local transport schemes.


Whilst land values are set to increase, analysis for the SCR shows that no new commercial or residential development is expected around a potential new Rotherham station, in contrast to Sheffield, Chesterfield and the Dearne which would share an additional 2.5 million sq ft of commercial development and 2,800 new residential units are envisaged.

HS2 consultations have designs being developed for a 6.7km long Sheffield Northern spur between Clayton and Thurnscoe which would connect the Dearne Valley Line existing railway to HS2.

As Rothbiz has previously reported, the SCR is developing the idea for a SCR Mass Transit project to enhance intra-regional connectivity. Rotherham features on a number of priority corridors including the Innovation Corridor, the River Don Corridor and the A631 Corridor.

Seems like the Sheffield City Region wants a parkway station for Rotherham and the Dearne Valley as part of NPR

 

[CaptainHaddock]

The only advantage Masborough had over Central was that it was right next to Millmoor, Rotherham United's ground so used to attract plenty of custom on match days. But since they moved to the New York stadium, even that advantage has now vanished.

 

[Harpers Tate]

I agree in general with the "what for?" type of comment. Masborough
(a) is distant from Rotherham proper - the principal reason why SYPE back in the day had the Holmes Chord built and Central re-opened
(b) is not an alternative to Meadowhall in that it does not offer connections to/from Barnsley (etc) and so would represent extra stops on long(er) distance services, rather than replacement stops
(c) has no likely adjacent site for a decent sized P&R car park nor it it close to any major road to service P&R traffic (both things Meadowhall does have)
(d) seems unlikely to generate any traffic locally - what demand is there for people to come from afar to (somewhere that is not actually in) Rotherham or for people who are (not actually in) Rotherham, to travel long distances - that cannot be met by using Central, and changing trains at Meadowhall?
Total waste of money IMO.

 

[AndyHudds]

I'm not convinced of the need to stop long distance services there. You can't stop long distance services everywhere. There is a more convenient station in Rotherham with a service to Sheffield (or Wakefield/Doncaster) where long distance services can be taken.

Also some of those services need to go non-stop through Rotherham because they are overtaking trains that are calling at Rotherham Central.

Why couldn't long distance services call there? It seems silly cross country fly through Rotherham without stopping. No one is talking about the Rotherham to Sheffield market but long distance services could call there, the twice a day York service too run by Northern. A reinstated Masborough need only be a 2 platform affair.

You also seem to forget that little 70 year old Mary from Rotherham whose daughter lives down in Bristol wants to get there to stay without changing, she's too old for all that malarkey, doesn't want to be bothered. Most casual users of rail, if they can, want to get away without changing trains and especially on long distance services. Just because people on here have the confidence and nous to tackle the British rail network doesn't mean everyone is as confident especially casual users. This kind of attitude is prevalent throughout the railway in this country.

 

[Harpers Tate]

You could say the same thing about every little town. Like Bawtry. And you'd end up with long distance services getting slower and/or routes more congested. There needs to be a good reason - and frankly, I just don't see the desperate need for Rotherham to be so served. Nor in this apparent obsession among a few to re-open a redundant station that's not in the place it purports to serve. In any case, how is 70 year old Mary going to get to Masborough? The bus station in Rotherham is......in Rotherham. What if her daughter is in any one of 1001 other places - like Peterbrough or Preston?

 

[AndyHudds]

You could say the same thing about every little town. Like Bawtry. And you'd end up with long distance services getting slower and/or routes more congested. There needs to be a good reason - and frankly, I just don't see the desperate need for Rotherham to be so served. Nor in this apparent obsession among a few to re-open a redundant station that's not in the place it purports to serve. In any case, how is 70 year old Mary going to get to Masborough? The bus station in Rotherham is......in Rotherham. What if her daughter is in any one of 1001 other places - like Peterbrough or Preston?

Rotherham isn't small like Bawtry is it? It seems silly that Cross Country just whizz through Rotherham. I don't know if there is a market for the people of Rotherham to travel long distances to places like Birmingham, Derby, Cheltenham or Bristol and beyond but we don't know that there isn't. It is an anomaly isn't it? I can't think of many other big places, if any, on the route that it doesn't call at. Is Rotherham less deserving than Cheltenham on the Cross Country route? I'd have said it was probably more deserving as it's probably bigger population wise. I don't live in Rotherham but do buses not go near Masborough? Again that's a lack of multi modal connections which this country is ds famous for. I'm not sure why Masborough was closed in the first place but I'm not so sure reopening is as crazy as some of the other crackpot ideas we see mooted on here. The only think that needs building is a station, the track and trains are in situ.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Stopping in Rotherham instead of Meadowhall is a complete non-starter. People travel from as far afield as Leicester and Nottingham to shop at Meadowhall, Parkgate retail park is no substitute. Rotherham is in effect a large suburb of Sheffield. It doesn't need long-distance services stopping there any more than Kingston/Surbiton does.

 

[MarkyT]

Rotherham may be Sheffield's smaller neighbour today but that wasn't always the case, which is partly why the Midland chose to avoid hilly Sheffield altogether, running their main line direct from Chesterfield to Rotherham via an easier route. Sheffield was served by a branch line from Rotherham for a while as far as the Midland network was concerned and the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire, later to become the Great Central, were first to build a line across the city.
See this map for the situation in the 1850s: https://maps.nls.uk/view/102345217#zoom=4&lat=7319&lon=12683&layers=BT
Rotherham today has a population of approx 110,000 today so is by no means a small town. Sheffield, previously similar in size to Rotherham, achieved its dominance through phenomenal growth in the early to middle 1800s with the development of its steel and related industries.

 

[MarkyT]

Stopping in Rotherham instead of Meadowhall is a complete non-starter. People travel from as far afield as Leicester and Nottingham to shop at Meadowhall, Parkgate retail park is no substitute. Rotherham is in effect a large suburb of Sheffield. It doesn't need long-distance services stopping there any more than Kingston/Surbiton does.

Alternatively the local authority could choose to attempt to regenerate Rotherham town centre, perhaps with a new commercial district to the west of the Don. My new curve and redeveloped Central station could help underpin that. There's no reason that some longer distance trains could not stop at both Meadowhall and Rotherham, but I suggest the Cross Countries should only get an additional stop at Rotherham. The west bank of the Don in Rotherham is fairly well accessed by Road with Centenary Way providing a fast route in from M1 J33, so my improved Central, provided with a suitable car park, could perform a dual town centre and parkway function without bringing too much additional traffic congestion into the central road network.

 

[AndyHudds]

Stopping in Rotherham instead of Meadowhall is a complete non-starter. People travel from as far afield as Leicester and Nottingham to shop at Meadowhall, Parkgate retail park is no substitute. Rotherham is in effect a large suburb of Sheffield. It doesn't need long-distance services stopping there any more than Kingston/Surbiton does.

What's the difference between Rotherham/Sheffield and Chesterfield/Sheffield, Chesterfield is extremely close to Sheffield too.

 

[VT 390]

Rotherham isn't small like Bawtry is it? It seems silly that Cross Country just whizz through Rotherham. I don't know if there is a market for the people of Rotherham to travel long distances to places like Birmingham, Derby, Cheltenham or Bristol and beyond but we don't know that there isn't. It is an anomaly isn't it? I can't think of many other big places, if any, on the route that it doesn't call at. Is Rotherham less deserving than Cheltenham on the Cross Country route? I'd have said it was probably more deserving as it's probably bigger population wise. I don't live in Rotherham but do buses not go near Masborough? Again that's a lack of multi modal connections which this country is ds famous for. I'm not sure why Masborough was closed in the first place but I'm not so sure reopening is as crazy as some of the other crackpot ideas we see mooted on here. The only think that needs building is a station, the track and trains are in situ.

But XC provide of the services at Cheltenham and if XC did not call at Cheltenham then it would be very poorly served with trains only running Hourly to Cardiff, Swindon (London) and every 2 hours to Bristol and Worcester. But Rotherham has Northern services to Sheffield, Doncester and Leeds all of which can be used to make long distance connections as well as the Tram Train to Sheffield.
I think that the Northern service at Rotherham should be increased to at least every 15 minutes though to provide a more frequent service and I think for a place like Rotherham with other large places nearby to make long distance connections would be far better served by a frequent local service than a infrequent longer distance service.

 

[adrock1976]

An alternative angle regarding Masborough could be to have a service from the East Midlands region (maybe originating from the East-West Rail route when built) running [Bedford Midland] - Kettering - Leicester - Loughborough - East Midlands Parkway (or Toton Interchange for HS2 and Nottingham Trams) - Chesterfield - Killamarsh West (reopened and possibly re-named to Killamarsh & Halfway for Sheffield Supertram - both Killamarsh and Halfway are next door to each other) - Rotherham Masborough, then

1) Pontefract Baghill, and York
2) Doncaster - Brough - Hull additionally could call at either Selby or Goole)
3) Doncaster - Garforth Parkway - Leeds
4) Doncaster - Wakefield Kirkgate - Leeds (via Askern)
5) Wakefield Westgate and Leeds

This would put both Killamarsh and Halfway on the railway map again, and would provide north-south axis connections further afield as well.

 

[Bevan Price]

Rotherham & St. Helens are 2 large towns - both with over 100,000 residents - with poor long distance services, partly because their locations are "inconvenient" for railway operators / planners - and probably also because they are "Up North" and "Them in Whitehall" care little about such places, especially those which are unlikely to elect Tory MPs.
I cannot imagine any large towns "down south" being allowed to have such poor services.