The Anonymous Widower

South Yorkshire Now Has Better North-South Connections

The December 14th 2025 timetable change was a big day for South Yorkshire.

Three big changes will transform, public transport in South Yorkshire.

The Opening Of A New Tram-Stop At Magna Science Adventure Centre On The Tram-Train Route Between Sheffield And Rotherham

The Magna Science Adventure Centre is described like this in the first paragraph of its Wikipedia entry.

Magna Science Adventure Centre is an educational visitor attraction in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England.

This map shows the site and the tram-train track between Sheffield and Rotherham.

Note.

1. The tram-train track runs East-West across the top of the map.
2. Sheffield is to the West and Rotherham is to the East.
3. At the Western end of the site, a label indicates the position of the Magna Platform.
4. The position of the tram-train stop is already marked.
5. There will be 29 extra Park-and-Ride spaces.
6. The Magna Science Adventure Centre is indicated by the purple arrow in the middle of the map.
7. Magna Way runs East-West through the site.
8. There are four pavilions: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.

This article on the BBC is entitled Lifts And Bridge Added As Tram Stop Takes Shape.

This picture from the article shows the bridge with lifts.

Note.

It will be an impressive tram stop.

It doesn’t look like it will be long before it opens.

But as yet no information is available.

Google AI gave this answer.

The new Magna Tram Train stop is scheduled to open in early 2026.

Construction of the new £10 million station and Park & Ride facility in Rotherham, part of a wider investment in the South Yorkshire Supertram network, is currently on track.

The new stop will improve access to the Magna Science Adventure Centre, local businesses, and link up with existing walking and cycling routes, aiming to ease congestion in the Lower Don Valley.

I shall be going next week to take photographs of the tram stop.

The Increase In Frequency Of Express Trains Serving Doncaster On The East Coast Main Line

Since the December 14th 2025 timetable change, the Monday to Friday express trains, that stop at Doncaster on the East Coast Main Line have included.

• CrossCountry – 8 trains per day (tpd) in both directions.
• Grand Central – 4 tpd in both directions.
• Hull Trains – 7 tpd in both directions.
• LNER- 3.5 trains per hour (tph) in both directions.
• TransPennineExpress – 1 tph in both directions.

Note.

1. This totals to 173 express trains per day stopping at Doncaster
2. Or about 7 tph in both directions or a train every 8.5 minutes.
3. This is about a thirty percent increase in frequency.
4. Doncaster has become the Crewe of South Yorkshire.

I can see this large number of express trains to Doncaster bringing large numbers of visitors  to go to the Magna Science Adventure Centre or its tram stop for onward connection to other destinations on the Sheffield Supertram network.

The trouble is, that at present the Magna tram stop is not connected to Doncaster station.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the rail lines between Doncaster and Sheffield stations.

Note.

1. The short length of red track in the North-East corner of the map is the East Coast Main Line.
2. Doncaster station can be picked out.
3. The short length of red track in the South-West corner of the map is the Midland Main Line, which connects Sheffield to London.
4. Sheffield station is at the Northern end of the electrification, which will be installed soon.
5. The pink tracks are the 750 VDC electrified tracks of the Sheffield Supertram.
6. The blue arrow marks Rotherham Parkgate station, which is the limit of the current tram-train route.

The tram-train route needs to be extended so that the tram-trains can go between Rotherham Parkgate tram stop and Doncaster station.

The route seems to have these characteristics.

1. It is about 11.8 miles long.
2. Stops are Rotherham Central, Swinton (South Yorkshire), Mexborough and Conisborough.
3. Diesel trains take about thirty minutes between Rotherham Central and Doncaster.
4. All platforms at Doncaster are electrified with 25 KVAC.
5. Platform 5 is a convenient bay platform at Doncaster, that could be used by the tram-trains.
6. Sheffield’s Class 399 tram-trains can use 25 KVAC for traction.
7. South Wales have similar Stadler tram-trains, that are to be fitted with batteries.

I am fairly sure, that a solution can be found so that Sheffield’s tram-trains can be extended to Doncaster station.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the route between Rotherham Parkgate tram stop and Doncaster station.

Note.

1. The short length of red track in the North-East corner of the map is the East Coast Main Line.
2. Doncaster station can be picked out.
4. The short length of pink tracks are the 750 VDC electrified tracks of the Sheffield Supertram.
5. The blue arrow marks Rotherham Parkgate station, which is the limit of the current tram-train route.
6. Most of the route is not electrified.

As there is electrification at both ends, I suspect the easiest way of powering the trams would be to use batteries, as has been done in South Wales.

The New Class 810 trains between London St. Pancras And Sheffield On The Midland Main Line

These new Class 810 trains have started running this month and I suspect soe travellers will use these trains to go to Magna or its tram stop.

his OpenRailwayMap shows the tram routes in Sheffield city centre.

Note.

1. The pink tracks are tram-tracks.
2. The black tracks are unelectrified train tracks.
3. The short lengths of red-and-black tracks are tracks to be electrified with 25 KVAC overhead, for the Class 810 trains.
4. The blue error indicated the Cathedral tram-stop, where tram-trains will be caught to Magna.
5. The mass of black tracks in the middle of the map is Sheffield station.
6. There is a tram stop on the East side of the train station for the trams.
7. Trams going South go to Halfway and Herdings Park.
8. Trams going North-East go to Rotherham Parkgate and Meadowhall Interchange, and will go to Magna, when it opens.
9. Trams going North-West go to Malin Bridge and Middlewood.

It is a difficult interchange between Cathedral and Sheffield station, if you are catching the tram-train, as it is a hard walk up hill, so it might be better if you are goinging between Sheffield station and the tram-train to change trams at Meadowhall South.

 

 

December 27, 2025 - Posted by AnonW | Artificial Intelligence, Transport/Travel | Class 810 Train, CrossCountry Trains, East Midlands Railway, Electrification, Grand Central Trains, Hull Trains, Magna Science Adventure Centre, Rotherham, Rotherham Central Station, Rotherham Magna Tram Stop, Rotherham Parkgate Station, Sheffield, Sheffield Tram-Train, St. Pancras Station, Step-Free, Tram-Train