South Yorkshire Mayor calls for reopening of Barnsley to Wakefield rail line

A new bid's been put in to reopen the rail line between Wakefield and Barnsley via Royston, after it was turned down for funding last June.

Barnsley Central MP and South Yorkshire Mayor Dan Jarvis has again called for government funding, which would boost passenger services between West and South Yorkshire and may lead to the reopening of local stations.

Royston’s rail line is used, but is only open to freight trains making deliveries Ardagh Glass factory in Monk Bretton.

The village had a station dating back to the 1840s, but it was axed as part of the Beeching Cuts in 1968.

Dan Jarvis has long called for the reopening of the route, to bring development opportunities to Royston and nearby Carlton and Lundwood.

A previous bid for cash was turned down in November 2020, despite support from across the political spectrum.

Dan Jarvis said: "This bid will bring potentially transformation employment, training and regeneration opportunities for the villages of Royston, Carlton and Lundwood and significantly improve rail connectivity across the borough and further afield."

"It is the missing piece of the jigsaw in enabling residents to access affordable and reliable rail services for work, study and leisure."

He added: "The Government was elected on a commitment to level up the North. It is vitally important that we see increased infrastructure spending in every town, city, region and nation of the UK."

"For far too long, communities in South Yorkshire have not received our fair share of investment."

"If the Government is serious about levelling up, I can think of no better place to start than reopening the Barnsley to Wakefield via Royston line."

Councillor Caroline Makinson, who represents the Royston ward, said: “This line being reopened would make a huge difference to the villages of Royston and Carlton, enabling commuters to travel much more quickly to Wakefield and on to Leeds."

"The lack of a railway link has been a long-running issue locally. If successful, this bid would bring new opportunities for investment and regeneration for local residents."