£11m funding for Rotherham Gateway station signed off as part of Northern Powerhouse rail plans
The government approved major railway investment for the North yesterday
Plans for a new mainline station in Rotherham took a major step forward this week after more than £11 million was agreed to progress work on the proposed Rotherham Gateway.
The funding was confirmed as part of a major Northern Powerhouse Rail announcement by the Department for Transport, setting out long-term investment plans to improve rail connections across Yorkshire and the North of England.
The money will be used to develop the next stage of the Rotherham Gateway proposal, helping to move plans forward for a station that would reconnect the town to the mainline rail network for the first time in around 40 years.
Leader of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, Chris Read, welcomed the announcement, describing it as a significant moment for the borough, but warned it is not yet a ‘done deal’.
“It great to see the Labour government indicating this morning that Rotherham’s proposed gateway station will sit at the heart of investment plans for railways in the North of England. It’s nothing less than Rotherham people deserve.
“For the last forty years Rotherham has been off the mainline rail network. Our plan isn’t just to put that right, but to maximise the opportunities that it presents; direct connection into the tram-train network, with thousands of jobs created, and facilitating further high quality local housing.
“With likely train journey times of just half an hour to Leeds, and a little over an hour to Manchester and Birmingham – as well as potentially direct connections to London in the future – the station doesn’t just widen commute and work opportunities for Rotherham people, but in turn creates new business opportunities to relocate here too.
“It’s especially heartening to see that the government is considering Rotherham Gateway as part of the first stage of Northern Powerhouse Rail development. There is still a huge amount of work to do, with development of the full business case required and funding certainty reached before the first spade goes in the ground.
“It’s definitely not a done deal, and I’d urge everyone to sign up to our station campaign to help us maintain momentum for the project. But today marks a big and important step forward.”
If delivered, the Gateway station could offer journey times of around 30 minutes to Leeds, just over an hour to Manchester and Birmingham, and potentially direct connections to London in the future.