Sheffield Region Transport Plan 2019 – Tram-Trains Between Sheffield And Doncaster-Sheffield Airport
The Sheffield plans, state this as a medium to long-term priority.
Regional tram-train services to be maximised through Rotherham Central, with direct fast services to Doncaster, DSA and Sheffield.
The tram-train route between Sheffield and Doncaster, would probably be as follows.
- Tinsley Meadowhall South
- Magna
- Rortherham Central
- Rotherham Parkgate
- Swinton
- Mexborough
- Conisbrough
- Doncaster
The distance between Rotherham Parkgate and Doncaster is under twelve miles and has full electrification at both ends.
The Class 399 tram-trains being built with a battery capability for the South Wales Metro to be delivered in 2023, should be able to reach Doncaster.
But there are probably other good reasons to fully electrify between Doncaster and Sheffield, via Meadowhall, Rotherham Central and Rotherham Parkgate.
The major work would probably be to update Rotherham Parkgate to a through station with two platforms and a step-free footbridge.
Currently, trains take twenty-three minutes between Rotherham Central and Doncaster. This is a time, that the tram-trains would probably match.
Onward To Doncaster Sheffield Airport
I have clipped this map of services from the report on Sheffield’s plans.
The tram-train route to the Airport is clearly marked in a broken orange line.
- The tram-train uses a loop from the East Coast Main Line.
- It shares the loop with expresses between London and Doncaster, that call at the Airport.
- The tram-train extension from Doncaster to Doncaster Sheffield Airport has new stations at Lakeside, Bessacarr and terminates at a new station at Bawtry.
It looks a well-thought out plan.
A Station At Doncaster Sheffield Airport
This article on the Doncaster Free Press is entitled Plans for £150m train station for Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
To say the plans put forward by the Peel Group, who are the owners of Doncaster Sheffield Airport are ambitious would be an understatement, but they do seem sound.
The plan would see the East Coast Main Line diverted closer to the Airport, where a station would be provide. Kings Cross would be within 90 minutes.
This Google Map shows Doncaster Sheffield Airport.
Note that the East Coast Main Line crosses the map starting in the North-West corner and then going through the village of Rossington and past the Northern Racing College.
I suspect that the Airport have done their homework and that the plan is well-thought out and feasible.
- It would create a well-connected Airport for everybody between Stevenage and Newcastle.
- The East Coast Main Line between Doncaster and Retford has a lot of double-track. A loop must give scope for separating freight and slow traffic from high speed trains.
- With modern trains like the Class 801 trains, a stop at the Airport will not slow services like a stop of an InterCity 125 would.
- As in the future, we’re looking at up to four trains per hour between London and Newcastle, surely, a high speed line through Doncaster without any other traffic would be an advantage.
In some ways, the fact that all this is possible, is down to the foresight of the Victorian engineers of the Great Northern Railway, who designed a route for high speed.
It should also be stated that Doncaster Sheffield Airport has air cargo ambitions.
Consider.
- It has a massive runway, that was able to accept the Space Shuttle in an emergency.
- The airport has lots of space for cargo terminals.
- The largest cargo planes, that exist only in the minds of Airbus and Boeing engineers would be welcome.
- The Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway, which is a major freight route between the South East and the North passes the airport.
- Plans exist to create a network of high speed package carrying trains. I’d use Doncaster Shjeffield Airport as a hub.
- Amazon already fly freight to and from the Airport. Deliveries could leave the United States in the evening and be in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Manchester for a morning delivery.
It looks like the Peel Group have a plan to create a transport interchange for both passengers and freight for a cost of millions, not billions. But it were to be worth spending billions, I’m certain that they can obtain it.
The Anonymous Widower 