A NEW YEAR RESOLUTION THAT’S EASY TO KEEP:

SIGN THE DON VALLEY RAILWAY PETITION ON-LINE –

Whether or not its giving up smoking, doing more exercise, looking for a new job, sticking to your new year resolutions can be pretty hard going through the year. But here’s one that’s easy to keep.

Supporting Don Valley Railway’s plans to bring back a passenger rail service is just a few clicks away on the computer. Sign the e-petition and you could be helping Stocksbridge and the Upper Don Valley get better connected.

Don Valley Railways e-petition can be accessed via the following link: http://tinyurl.com/8dp5dbg.

It does not involve abstinence, or need lots of hard work. Just half a minute next time you are on the computer can be what is all that’s required.

The campaign to re-open the railway hosted by www.change.org petition website is running until May. Don Valley Railway hope to convince the rail industry and potential funders of the benefits that re-opening the line may have on the future development of Stocksbridge and the Upper Don Valley.

If after signing the e-petition you wish to find out more about Don Valley Railway, go to the Website www.donvalleyrailway.org or attend our regular Drop-In meetings. These are usually held 7-9pm on the first Thursday of the Month in the Harlequin Pub, Nursery Street, Sheffield and 8-9.30pm on the last Thursday of the month at Stocksbridge Rugby Club, Manchester Road, Stocksbridge.

Alternatively, the Annual General Meeting is due at 7.30pm on Thursday 17^th January at Stocksbridge Rugby Club.

Notes

1. Don Valley Railway aims to introduce passenger services between Stocksbridge/Deepcar and central Sheffield using the currently freight-only railway line between Corus Steelworks in Stocksbridge and Woodburn Junction in Sheffield, with the future aspiration of adding services along the route of the Woodhead rail line, westwards from the junction at Deepcar. 

2. In 2010 Ove Arup and Partners Ltd (Arup) produced an engineering feasibility study on behalf of Don Valley Railway, demonstrating that there is potential for operating a reliable commuter rail service along the route between Sheffield and Stocksbridge 

3. Building on previous research by transport authorities, this study was primarily concerned with establishing the engineering feasibility of operation from a technical perspective, perhaps using some of the concepts behind ‘Big Society’ to make it happen. 

4. Arup recommended that the most cost effective train service option is a simple shuttle between a station close to the site of the former Sheffield Victoria and Deepcar. This could operate on a 2 trains-per-hour basis with no intermediate stops, utilising a single train. 

5. Further Enquiries can be addressed to Chris Bell (07986 759259), Paul Denton (0752 845 2898) or donvalleyrailway@hotmail.com
   
6. To reduce costs Don Valley Railway has investigated the possibility of utilizing the Ultra Light Rapid Transit system developed by Parry People Movers to operate on. 

7. Don Valley Railway hopes to announce the completion of a fully costed business plan for the project. 

8. Further information about the feasibility can be found at http://www.donvalleyrailway.org/project/feasability.php