Towns Fund Board
Don Valley Railway is working with the Towns Fund Board with £25million being awarded to Stocksbridge. Chris Bell Chairs the Infrastructure Sub Group on this.
Reversing Beeching Fund
A Scoping Feasibility South Yorkshire Rail Reinstatement Study considers Stocksbridge and the link to Penistone alongside other reinstatements of passenger services.
The DfT has published details of a £500m scheme on the bidding process to restore old railways and open new stations across England and Wales. Guidance for the Reopening Railway Funds supports schemes in three stages of development:
- An Ideas Fund
- Accelerating Existing Proposals
- Proposals for New Stations
Applications are invited from MPs working with Local Authorities and Community Groups Miriam Cates the MP for Stocksbridge and Penistone is working with us and the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority to put together a bid.
Our Expression of Interest has been submitted ahead of the 28 February 2020 deadline.
Following this hopefully Don Valley Railway will be able to proceed towards implementation. This follows a working procedure established for Network Rail to deliver the works known by the acronym GRIP (Governance for Rail Investment Projects). This sets out a numbered eight stage project management process.
GRIP Stage 1: Output Definition
This stage establishes the scope of investment and the work being proposed. In particular, it considers:
- The objective, scope, timing, and specification of the enhancement;
- Funding for the project and any project risks;
- Procurement methodology: what should be undertaken in development and implementation works;
- Any likely interface with existing railway operations and other relevant projects and route strategies;
- Other stakeholder involvement.
- This appears to be where the selection process through the Restoring Your Railway fund leaves us.
GRIP Stage 2: Project Feasibility
Following successful review and prioritisation of the investment proposal, Stage 2 moves the project forward. Where a scheme changes the capability of the railway, for example it changes the timetable or operation of the network, or it integrates with existing major programmes of work, then Network Rail’s System Operator team is likely to sponsor the scheme. Other schemes, such as investment in stations, will be sponsored by Network Rail Route Enhancement teams.
GRIP Stage 3: Option Selection
This stage should consider the various options to develop the scheme such that:
- The various options available to complete the project will have been identified;
- Each of these available options will have been appraised; and
- A single option and outline design should be recommended.This is a crunch stage for the project as the business case needs to confirm whether or not the project is affordable to continue, including consideration of whole-life cost issues, whether it can be delivered in a reasonable timescale, whether it will provide value for money, and, on this basis, whether to proceed to detailed design and implementation.
GRIP Stage 4: Single Option Development
Development of the chosen single option selected in stage 3 commences to create the outline design. Outline designs are produced, and any technical or legal issues that could cancel an option or a project are usually identified by this point.
GRIP Stage 5: Detailed Design
The completion of a robust engineering design and provide definitive costs, timescales, resources and risk assessment. Stage 5 will deliver the full design to which the project will be built is produced. This includes cost and time estimates.
GRIP Stage 6: Construction, Test and Commission
The project is built to the design and specification detailed during stage 5. It is tested to confirm everything is operating as specified and commissioned into use.
GRIP Stage 7: Scheme Handback
Transfer of asset responsibility from the contractor’s project team to the operator and maintainer.
GRIP Stage 8 – Project close out
The project is formally closed. Contracts are settled and warranties agreed. Benefit assessments commence and the project team disbands. Following all this we hopefully will have a railway. We can plan to use it to get places and it can assist in the growth and well-being of Stocksbridge and the Upper Don Valley.
Sheffield City Region are also investigating the opportunities on the Sheffield to Chesterfield via Barrow Hill route and a new station at the Advanced Manufacturing Park between Darnall and Woodhouse on the line east of Sheffield Victoria which could complement activities on the Don Valley Line.