Don Valley Railway, the campaign organisation aiming to bring passenger trains on the freight line to Stocksbridge understand that an announcement regarding the potential development of a full business case review will be made on 27th October as part of the Government’s Spending Review.
This will include funding for the Rail Development Plan which includes schemes being developed as part of the Restoring Your Railway initiative to which a bid has been submitted by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority for trains to Stocksbridge.
The proposal, much delayed because of the Pandemic was originally submitted in March 2020 before re-submission the following year. Now supporters of the scheme eagerly await its conclusions.
Proposals could see the re-opening of the former Victoria Station along with possible stops at Wadsley Bridge, Oughtibridge and Deepcar. Don Valley Railway representatives will be attending consultations on the Towns Fund in Stocksbridge on 16th and 23rd October and be available for information.
The Department for Transport has launched a £500 million Restoring Your Railway Fund back in late 2019. MPs, local councils and community groups across England and Wales were invited to propose how they could use funding to reinstate axed local services and restore stations.
The funding will be split in 3 ways to offer support to projects at different phases of development:
Miriam Cates MP for Stocksbridge and Penistone sponsored the bid which is widely supported across the area. specifying the train services sought.
Funding has already been secured to bring back services on the Barrow Hill Line and this too may utilise the currently redundant Victoria Station adding capacity to Sheffield rail network and it may be possible to run cross-city services from the Upper Don Valley across to the eastern side of Sheffield.
Notes
1, Don Valley Railway aims to introduce passenger services between Stocksbridge/Deepcar and central Sheffield using the currently freight-only railway line between and serving Liberty Steelworks in Stocksbridge from Woodburn Junction in Sheffield with the future aspiration of extending this service along the route of the Woodhead Rail line from the Junction at Deepcar.
2, An engineering feasibility study find that the Don Valley Railway has the potential for operating a reliable commuter rail service along the route between Sheffield and Stocksbridge which it is hoped will contribute to creating a business case for the re-opening of passenger services on the rail link. Further study work has been undertaken more recently by Sheffield City Region (Now SYMCA)
3, Two Bids were submitted by Sheffield City Region (Now SYMCA) for the project which in March 2020 and March 2021.
4, Further Enquiries can be addressed to Chris Bell at chris153@btinternet.com
Tel 07986 759259.