South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) have appointed Arup Consultants to undertake the work on the Strategic Outline Business Case for their Restoring Your Railways bid. SYMCA inform us that they are getting on with that at pace given the limited time available. Arup prepared the bid for the scheme so are familiar with it and have an ex-Network Rail officer leading the team, who is very experienced in rail planning. They are engaging with Network Rail and hopefully Liberty Steel to discuss use of their section of line beyond Deepcar. SYMCA are also hoping to employ a separate consultant to do some work on development plans and opportunities around the station sites. Arup are working on a draft SOBC. DVR have been invited to take part in the stakeholder liaison process Arup will present their work and seek input from DVR.
It is also good news on the Barrow Hill line. The Government have approved SYMCA’s Barrow Hill Line Restoring Your Railways scheme to go forward to the next stage, one of only 9 in England and Wales. This is positive in that it could strengthen the case for the Don Valley Line and re-opening Victoria station.
A copy of the Barrow Hill Strategic Outline Business Case attached will mirror a similar document to be produced for Don Valley Railway shortly.
https://democracy.derbyshire.gov.uk/…/Appendix%202…