Plan to reopen Barrow Hill rail line enters next stage

The mayoral combined authority has been successful in securing support to progress the Sheffield to Chesterfield via Barrow Hill line.

The Government has now asked for the authority to submit a comprehensive plan.

The scheme would propose new stations in Beighton and potentially a station serving Killamarsh, Eckington and Renishaw.

Neal Byer, strategic transport officer at Sheffield City Region, said: “The submission of each of the bids to the Restoring Your Railway Fund will provide the opportunity to deliver the SCR Integrated Rail Plan.

“There is strong support for the projects from officers and MPs to make the submissions and to continue to support the business cases for the successful schemes.”

Work is now being undertaken by the MCA team, in support of the sponsoring MP, Lee Rowley, and the council partners to develop a strategic outline business case for the project.

The aim of the project team is to submit the SOBC for Barrow Hill to the Department for Transport (DfT) before the end of the calendar year.

The appropriate budget and resources are agreed and in place to achieve this.

This comes as other rail schemes in the region were rejected.

A station at Askern in Doncaster and reopening a disused line to serve Stocksbridge in the north of Sheffield have both been knocked back.

Another scheme linking Barnsley to Wakefield via a new station at Royston in Barnsley has also been rejected.

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