Ghost train stations of Yorkshire could come back to life under government levelling up plans

A campaign to reopen the Sheffield-Chesterfield ‘Barrow Hill Line’ to passenger services have reached the next stage of a government programme to provide funds for restoration the network.

If the funding bid is granted from the Restoring Your Railway fund, stations including Sheffield Victoria, Beighton, Killamarsh, Eckington/Renishaw, Barrow Hill/Staveley and Whittington could all re-open, and a regular service created connecting rural parts of North East Derbyshire to Sheffield.

Mayor Oliver Coppard, inset, said: “There is huge support to take this project forward because of the opportunity it gives to level-up our ‘left-behind’ communities –the people and places currently disconnected from quick and frequent public transport links to get to jobs, education opportunities or to see family and friends.

“By building better connections between communities where we live, work and visit and offering better options to get around, we can unlock more potential for people right across South Yorkshire.

“The government have set the timeframe of levelling up our region by 2030, but in order to achieve that goal we need them to match our energy and ambition, otherwise it’s just more empty words.

“Projects such as restoring the Barrow Hill line are a great starting point, helping to better connect our communities to local places and more opportunities.”