Rotherham ‘Mainline’ Station

[William3000]

I’ve noticed that Northern Powerhouse Rail proposals indicate a new mainline station for Rotherham close to Parkgate. For those more familiar with the local geography than me, I presume this would be on the line that previously served Rotherham Masborough.

I’m aware that there is a tram stop at Parkgate to the south of the retail park, would the new station be to the north as my understanding is that the mainline runs to the north. If so, how would it connect into the tram network and existing rail services at Rotherham Central?

Is there a reason why they decided against reopening Madborough? Presumably in the wrong place now for connections to retail/trams, and not well related to town centre.

 

[GardenRail]

I’ve noticed that Northern Powerhouse Rail proposals indicate a new mainline station for Rotherham close to Parkgate. For those more familiar with the local geography than me, I presume this would be on the line that previously served Rotherham Masborough.

I’m aware that there is a tram stop at Parkgate to the south of the retail park, would the new station be to the north as my understanding is that the mainline runs to the north. If so, how would it connect into the tram network and existing rail services at Rotherham Central?

Is there a reason why they decided against reopening Madborough? Presumably in the wrong place now for connections to retail/trams, and not well related to town centre.

Didn't all that fall through ages ago....

 

[YorksLad12]

I’ve noticed that Northern Powerhouse Rail proposals indicate a new mainline station for Rotherham close to Parkgate. For those more familiar with the local geography than me, I presume this would be on the line that previously served Rotherham Masborough.

I’m aware that there is a tram stop at Parkgate to the south of the retail park, would the new station be to the north as my understanding is that the mainline runs to the north. If so, how would it connect into the tram network and existing rail services at Rotherham Central?

Is there a reason why they decided against reopening Madborough? Presumably in the wrong place now for connections to retail/trams, and not well related to town centre.

It might be close to where the former Parkgate and Rawmarsh station was, off Aldwarke Lane. I think the old platforms are still there... and the Station Hotel. There's a development site being opened up south of that, which will also give a new access road to the Parkgate shopping centre and a new tram train park & ride. I'd like to think we'd have two outer platforms and slow lines so as not to hinder faster traffic, but...

Masborough is interesting. As well as not being that close to anything compared to Central, I think the station buildings have been sold off. Traffic to/from Sheffield uses the western pair of lines, and there's no connection at the southern end to get you into the former station building anyway, so you'd effectively be building a new station. In which case, do that where there are places people want to go, with plenty of space for cross-modal connections (buses, cars). The question really is "which services would use it?" as everything currently calls at Central, except those that don't stop at Rotherham at all.

 

[WesternBiker]

Didn't all that fall through ages ago....

Pretty much - kicked into the long grass...

More below, but the key bit is: "...the Government has now confirmed that it will not allow the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to use £8m from its City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) for the project. Instead, the SYMCA is being allowed to only spend up to £1m from the pot between now and 2027 to "develop the Outline Business Case (OBC) for an integrated mainline and tram-train station."

I have no view on the merits or otherwise of the specific proposal, but it strikes me as an appalling example of micro-management from Whitehall.

https://www.rothbiz.co.uk/2022/08/news-7831-government-pulls-out-of.html

News: Government pulls out of Rotherham mainline station​

The Department for Transport has put the brakes on a proposed new £30m mainline station, described as being of "fundamental importance to Rotherham."

Despite being described by experts as "a relatively straightforward scheme for delivery within three to four years," the Government has now confirmed that it will not allow the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) to use £8m from its City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) for the project.

Instead, the SYMCA is being allowed to only spend up to £1m from the pot between now and 2027 to "develop the Outline Business Case (OBC) for an integrated mainline and tram-train station."

When the Integrated Rail Plan for the North and Midlands (IRP) was published by the Government last November, it scaled back ambitions for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) with Rotherham and Sheffield missed off the new network. The IRP also showed that the HS2 Phase 2b Eastern leg would no longer reach Leeds and instead included a pledge to look at options on how best to take HS2 services to Leeds.

The decision was recently described as "a missed opportunity" by the Transport Committee.

In response to the plans, SYMCA said that missing Rotherham off NPR network "runs contrary to the desire to "level up" communities." Rotherham Council described the mainline station as being of "fundamental importance to Rotherham" and added that any downgrading of the scheme "would be a direct detriment to our borough."

In a letter to South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, confirming delivery plans, Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, said: "Following a further assessment process, I can confirm that the following scheme will not be funded in full in this CRSTS period: Rotherham Mainline station, including tram-train element.

"SYMCA may proceed with spending up to £1m in this CRSTS period to develop the Outline Business Case (OBC) for an integrated mainline and tram-train station. Any further spend is subject to HMG [government] approval based on a value for money and affordability assessment for the integrated station as a whole. This assessment should work on the basis of existing HMG commitments only and should assume by default that no funding outside of CRSTS is available.

"I therefore request that you work with my officials to bring forward additional schemes for the remainder of this funding."

The settlement consolidates funding from previous allocations of the Highways Maintenance Block, Potholes Fund and Integrated Transport Block.

As well as £8m from the CRSTS, £10m has been earmarked to support the mainline station as part of Rotherham Council’s successful £31.6m award from the Towns Fund.

The Parkgate area is the front runner with the council and the private sector led Town Deal board already working on a business case focusing on the benefits of the station and the regeneration opportunities around it.

Consultants LCR have been appointed to work on a station masterplan and the strategic acquisition of land is also being prepared.

NPR is also expected to fund the mainline station.

An update on the studies into taking HS2 services to Leeds, which could benefit Rotherham, are expected in September.

 

[Karissarose]

Hi guys, I was just wondering has it been confirmed that Rotherham is going to get a mainline station or is it just still in the works?

Would love to hear yours opinion as I have no idea what is going on with it

News: Proponents push on with plan for Rotherham mainline station

Despite some uncertainty, Rotherham Council and its partners continue to develop regeneration plans based around a potential new £30m mainli...

www.rothbiz.co.uk

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and Rotherham Council have been developing a scheme to return mainline train services to the borough for the first time since the 1980s. A site at Parkgate is the frontrunner for a regeneration project described by experts as "a relatively straightforward scheme for delivery within three to four years."

A business case has been completed and a lead consultant has now been procured to produce a masterplan study for the station area...

 

[sh24]

Rotherham Central has loads of Northern services - or are you thinking about something like the old Masborough station?

 

[Karissarose]

Rotherham Central has loads of Northern services - or are you thinking about something like the old Masborough station?

I am just thinking in general, because there are news article saying that Rotherham was going to get one, but I don’t know how true that is you know that we get direct services to London and Birmingham and stuff like that

 

[duffield]

The conclusion is that it's not happening in the foreseeable future.

 

[Big Jumby 74]

Masborough was my local station when staying in the East Dene area back in the day, with most LH services out of/in to Sheffield Mid calling there (70's), but even then it was a tad run down, so guess closure even then had already been decided by those on high!