Upgrades to Chesterfield Railway Station included in new rail plan
An ambitious new plan for the future of the Sheffield City Region’s rail network has been launched by Mayor Dan Jarvis.
The Integrated Rail Plan, has been welcomed by the Department for Transport. It was produced by Sheffield City Region and its local authority partners, supported by organisations including Transport for the North (TfN).
It sets out a vision for how the region will be better connected by both high speed and conventional rail networks into the future – regionally, across the North, and nationally.
The plan recognises that, while the benefits of national investment in HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), should be maximised, there needs to be ongoing, complementary investment in the local and regional rail and road networks. By doing this, the plan can best improve capacity, reliability, affordability, and journey times for communities and businesses across the Sheffield City Region.
Key elements of the plan include a proposed new Barnsley Dearne Valley railway station, with the preferred location on a site in Goldthorpe; the creation of a new Midland Main Line station in Rotherham; an East Coast Main Line railway station at Doncaster Sheffield Airport; extension of the Tram-Train, the upgrade of the Hope Valley Line; and significant upgrades of the railway stations at both Sheffield and Chesterfield, to accommodate HS2 services.
Mayor Dan Jarvis said: “This is a landmark moment for our region. For the first time, Government, regional partners and our local authorities have come together to welcome a vision for the future of our rail services, creating a Plan that will revolutionise rail travel for our communities.
Cllr Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “I welcome the integration and improvements plans of routes between Chesterfield and other locations in the north of the country.
“The arrival of HS2 in Chesterfield is a fantastic opportunity to improve transport links at our railway station and we are confident that our residents will benefit from these changes.
“This also opens great opportunities for local people in terms of our growing economy, new jobs and the improvement of journey times.
“The plan continues to emphasise the importance of delivering the HS2 Station Master Plan, but there are some other initiatives linked to the Northern Powerhouse investment decision that will help to achieve objectives including further track investment and the proposal of services stopping twice per hour in the borough.”
