Rotherham Railway: Full steam ahead for new station with £11m funding bid

The station, which would sit on the main rail line between Sheffield and Leeds/Doncaster, aims to improve transport links in the town and lead the way for regeneration schemes in the area just north of the town centre

An outline business case submitted by Rotherham Council sets out two design options for the station – a two-platform or four-platform layout- as well as a new tram-train stop to link the site to Sheffield and Rotherham Parkgate. The total cost of the scheme is estimated at between £133m and £167m.

The proposed station is the first part of major regeneration plans that include new manufacturing and commercial spaces, 250 homes, green spaces, and new public realms. It also complements the proposed Bassingthorpe Farm development, which is expected to deliver a further 2,500 homes.

The £11.35m funding request, which is sought from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s (SYMCA) City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement, will fund detailed design, procurement preparation, and land assembly work.

A separate £10m from the Town Deal Programme has been earmarked to fund land acquisition and planning consent.

If approved, the design phase will move the project closer to procurement and construction, with the new station expected to be operational by late 2030.

RMBC’s business case suggests the station and associated commercial development could create around 443 jobs and generate more than £113 million in economic value over 30 years, but states exact details will be made clear in the next stage of planning.

Transport modelling indicates that while the new station will create journey time benefits for new users, there may be minor delays for existing passengers on some services. Additional timetable and network studies are underway to address these concerns.

A decision on whether to approve £11.35m in funding for the next stage of the Rotherham Gateway Station project is due to be made at the SYMCA board meeting on Tuesday, June 24.