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Rothbiz details the area of land at Parkgate being looked at for the new £100m+ Rotherhan mainline station.
With a potential station at Forge Way, it could see Rotherham Council buying back land that it disposed of in 2016.
The South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and the council have been developing a scheme to return mainline train services to the borough for the first time since the 1980s.
The project was one of many contained in the much-derided “Network North” document, published by the Government when it axed HS2 going beyond Birmingham.
Rothbiz revealed last year that the total project cost was £107.6m. £99.5m for the station and £7.1m for the tram-train stop when it went before SYMCA.
Rotherham Council’s cabinet gave the green light for the authority to start negotiations to acquire land needed for a new mainline station in September.
The masterplan identified connections between the mainline and tram-train (which runs on the line between Rotherham Central and Parkgate), a preferred location for the station building and a layout for supporting facilities including car parking, a pick-up/drop off area and space to accommodate rail replacement bus services. Potential development plots have also been identified.
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Council minutes show that the station format for a site at Forge Way has been agreed with the masterplanners. In this area, known as Northfields, regeneration has taken place to create a large warehouse unit – occupied by Trade Centre UK – and a number of commercial units built at Kaldo Court by local developers, Waddingtons.
Also at Forge Way is the site of the former Greasbrough Road depot, disposed of by the council in 2016 and now used as storage by the Stobart Group. This land is where the two railway lines are closest.
Council minutes also shows that the authority needs to acquire land to the north of the mainline for a secondary access. Land at Mangham Way on the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate is being looked at which would be accessed via an underpass.
£1m has been secured to develop the Outline Business Case and £10m in funding has been secured for land assembly.
The council is aiming to snap up five sites and has been investigating the potential use of powers for a Compulsory Purchase or Transport and Works Act orders to acquire the necessary land, although negotiation remains the preferred option.
Wider regeneration opportunities in the area and a 15–20 year programme are also being assessed including “connections to the town centre and to the north of the site on the wider masterplan area and opportunities for regeneration.”
With the development of the project business case and acquisitions set to take some time, construction is not due to start until 2026, with an opening for the new station pencilled in for Spring 2028.
Reliant on securing further Government funding, the proposals would see new direct services into York and Birmingham, with faster services to Leeds, Sheffield, and Doncaster than currently offered.
Huw Merriman MP, Minister of State for Rail and HS2, was in the region last month to see proposals for improving transport. He said on social media at the time: “Sheffield and Rotherham are now at the heart of Northern Powerhouse Rail, transforming connectivity east and west.
“In Rotherham, Network North delivers a new mainline station. I saw how SYMCA and Rotherham Council plan to capitalise on this by expanding tram-train services, driving regeneration of the local area further.”
Images: Google Maps / Huw Merriman / X
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