Opening a new railway station at Doncaster Sheffield Airport would boost the prospects for more long-haul flights – but is not an immediate priority for the reopening project, board papers have revealed.

Earlier this week, South Yorkshire mayor Oliver Coppard and the region’s four council leaders approved the release of £160m funding to reopen the airport. It is hoped the airport will be a catalyst for wider development around the site, potentially creating thousands of jobs.

A board paper considered by the politicians noted that the idea of a railway station at DSA is a “long-held aspiration” dating back to its time under private ownership and land has already been safeguarded. It said a new railway station would increase the number of people able to reach the airport by train within 90 minutes from 2.4m to 8.8m, thereby “enabling the demand for more long-haul routes”.

But it listed the opening of a railway station as a “long-term priority”, with more immediate focus on making improvements to the M18, updating road signage and installing EV charging in the airport’s car park.

Sheffield Council leader Tom Hunt says it is 'imperative' public transport connections to Doncaster Sheffield Airport are improved. Photograph by Tony Johnson.

placeholder image — Sheffield Council leader Tom Hunt says it is 'imperative' public transport connections to Doncaster Sheffield Airport are improved. Photograph by Tony Johnson.

The report said that delivering a new railway station “should coincide with broader rail network upgrades and national investment plans” and is “not essential on day one”.

It also said a new railway station “is not an immediate requirement for reopening the airport”. It added: “As employment numbers, passenger volumes and commercial activity increase, the case for rail connectivity becomes more compelling, both in terms of demand and deliverability.”

Sheffield Council leader Tom Hunt told the funding decision meeting that is “imperative” public transport links to the airport are improved and said it was important not to repeat the problems of the lack of connections serving the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

"Let’s not just make the same mistake with the airport – let’s build in plans for transport connectivity now so people in ten or 20 years’ time aren’t looking back and thinking, ‘Why didn’t the decision about public transport get taken at an earlier stage?’”