Rotherham Central railway station

Rotherham Central National Rail

Rotherham Central in 2014
Location
Place Rotherham
Local authority Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham
Coordinates 53°25′56″N 1°21′38″W / 53.4322°N 1.3605°W / 53.4322; -1.3605Coordinates: 53°25′56″N 1°21′38″W / 53.4322°N 1.3605°W / 53.4322; -1.3605
Grid reference SK425930
Operations
Station code RMC
Managed by Northern
Number of platforms 2
DfT category E
Live arrivals/departures, station information and onward connections
from National Rail Enquiries
Annual rail passenger usage*
2011/12 Decrease 0.655 million
2012/13 Increase 0.712 million
2013/14 Decrease 0.667 million
2014/15 Increase 0.718 million
2015/16 Decrease 0.690 million
Passenger Transport Executive
PTE Travel South Yorkshire
Zone Rotherham
History
1 August 1868 Temporary station opened (terminus of line from Tinsley)
3 April 1871 Line to Mexborough opened
1 February 1874 Permanent station opened as Rotherham Central
January 1889 Renamed Rotherham and Masborough
25 September 1950 Renamed Rotherham Central
5 September 1966 Closed
11 May 1987 Re-opened
2012 Renovated
National Rail – UK railway stations
* Annual estimated passenger usage based on sales of tickets in stated financial year(s) which end or originate at Rotherham Central from Office of Rail and Road statistics. Methodology may vary year on year.
UK Railways portal

Rotherham Central railway station is in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The station was originally named "Rotherham", becoming "Rotherham and Masborough" in January 1889 and finally "Rotherham Central" on 25 September 1950. (The town's other station was at one time known as "Masbrough and Rotherham".)

Rotherham Central is the only railway station in Rotherham since the closure of Rotherham Masborough, in 1988. However, it has retained its "Central" suffix, like Lincoln Central railway station.

History

The station in 2004 before renovation

This is the fourth station to be built, within the town centre, on the line from Sheffield Victoria. The first, a single platform terminus was built on what became the coal yard by the South Yorkshire Railway. Today this approximates to the land off Brinsworth Street below the bridge which carries the Inner Relief Road over the railway. The S.Y.R. could not gain permission to pass below the already built line of the Sheffield and Rotherham Railway, opened in 1838. A few years later and following amalgamation into the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, a scheme was developed to fill the South Yorkshire Navigation, a canal already owned by that railway company and divert its course into the nearby River Don. As the Navigation already passed below the Sheffield and Rotherham line this would solve the problem, although until recent years the line was prone to flooding. The S.Y.R. already had a single line from Mexborough, on its Barnsley to Doncaster line, towards Rotherham, running alongside the canal but only as far as the pottery and brickworks at Kilnhurst, leaving a gap of almost 4 miles (6 km) between. When the through line was completed a new, although temporary Rotherham station was built in the cut with access from the road above named "Amen Corner". This served the town from 1 August 1868.[1][2] The line between Rotherham and Mexborough opened for goods traffic on 13 March 1871; passenger services began on 3 April 1871 but these continued to use the temporary station until the permanent Rotherham Central station was opened on 1 February 1874.[3] This was an elongated affair with staggered platforms and a large stone main building opposite the "Statutes Fair Ground", with access from both Main Street, at the Sheffield end, and College Road, at the Doncaster end. In January 1889 this station was renamed Rotherham and Masborough.[1] This station came under the ownership of the Great Central Railway (GCR) when the M.S.& L.R. changed its name on completion of its extension to London (Marylebone station), in 1899. The station was served by Sheffield Victoria - Doncaster local trains and others ranging from the north east to the south coast, the Great Central Railway being involved in many operations jointly with other companies. The GCR amalgamated with other railways to form the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) at the start of 1923; the LNER was itself nationalised at the start of 1948, becoming part of the newly formed British Railways (BR). Following this, Rotherham and Masborough was renamed Rotherham Central on 25 September 1950.[1] Its last main line train, a throw-back to these pre-First World War One joint operations, being the Newcastle to Bournemouth express. This station was closed on 5 September 1966[1] and soon demolished.

With the rationalisation of railways in the area in full swing plans to concentrate Sheffield's train services at Sheffield Midland station led to the building of a major new junction between the lines of the former Great Central and the Midland Railway at Aldwarke Junction north of Rotherham, allowing Sheffield - Doncaster trains to be routed onto the Midland line to Sheffield Midland station via Rotherham Masborough. With only one station in town, eventually, "Masborough" was dropped from the name of the remaining station. Rotherham Masborough was located almost half-a-mile away from Rotherham town centre and by the 1980s this was judged to be hindering the use of train services from the town.

Present station

In order to provide a more convenient service, a single line link was constructed from the Midland Line at Holmes Junction, on the Sheffield side of Masborough station, to pass below the Midland line and join the Great Central south of the planned new station. This was known as "The Holmes Chord". On Wednesday, 8 April 1987 the Chairman of the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority, Councillor Jack Meredith ceremonially fixed the last rail clip.

The first sod of earth to be cut on the site of the new station was ceremonially cut by the Mayor of Rotherham, Councillor J. L. Skelton on Tuesday, 8 July 1986. He also unveiled a plaque to commemorate the event. The new Rotherham Central station was opened to passengers on 11 May 1987, is situated by the College Road bridge, near the town centre, the Doncaster-bound platform on the site of the 1871 platform but the Sheffield - bound platform is now opposite. The station buildings, of modern brick construction are at road level, with the entrance way through the ticket office; the platforms are approached by ramps. The whole scheme, the station and the Holmes Chord, cost £2,400,000, the P.T.E. funding the scheme with a contribution from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to enhance platform shelter facilities. A grant for half the cost was obtained from the European Regional Development Fund. After just six months, the passenger usage was recorded as being up by 120% compared with the old Masborough station for the same period of 1986.

The official opening date was set for 2 June, however this was postponed due to expected picketing by members of the National Union of Railwaymen demonstrating against the cutting of 11 jobs with the transfer of staff from Masborough and the concerns over the staff reduction on the platform at the new station, this being reduced to one person.

Rotherham Masborough remained for the three per day Sheffield-York trains having regained its suffix, until its closure in 1988, when all services were concentrated on Central station. Clearly, this time the will for rationalising station names had vanished, because the sole remaining Rotherham station still retains its suffix "Central".

Redevelopment

It was announced by Northern that in 2010 the station would undergo a £8.5 million refurbishment,[4] as part of the "Rotherham Renaissance" plans for the regeneration of the town. The 1980s station buildings and ramps would be replaced by a new travel centre, along with new platform canopies, lifts and CCTV. As part of this the car park would also be redesigned. A temporary station entrance would be constructed for passenger use while the buildings were replaced. Work on the project commenced on Monday, 22 February 2010[4] with a temporary station entrance being constructed, expected to come into operation during March. The temporary station opened on Friday 9 July and the old travel centre demolished a month later. After being dogged by delays, the new station buildings and platforms opened for public use on Friday 24 February 2012.

Tram Train pilot scheme

The station is due to be served by the planned Tram Train pilot scheme from 2018, which would see services link the station with the Sheffield Supertram network using a fleet of dedicated vehicles capable of running on both light & heavy rail systems. The scheme was due to begin in late 2015, but infrastructure operator Network Rail's application for permission from the Department for Transport to build the connecting link between Supertram & heavy rail systems at Tinsley (lodged in March 2015) has yet to be approved.[5]

Services

Currently the station has a half-hourly service on weekdays to Doncaster (with most trains continuing on to either Scunthorpe or Adwick) and hourly to Wakefield and Leeds, along with three trains per hour to Meadowhall and Sheffield (one of which continues to Retford and Lincoln). The twice-daily service to York via the Dearne Valley Line also calls here.[6]

Sundays see an hourly service to Doncaster, a train every two hours to Leeds and either one or two trains per hour to Sheffield (plus two to York via Moorthorpe).

TransPennine Express operates a very limited service from the station. There is one train per day westbound from Cleethorpes to Sheffield in the evenings (including Sundays). On Sunday mornings there is also an eastbound service from Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes; there is no corresponding eastbound service on weekdays.[7]

The line through Rotherham Masborough railway station survives, and is used by fast passenger services between Sheffield and Leeds/York to bypass Rotherham Central station. Freight services using the "Old Road", the original North Midland Railway line to reach Chesterfield, avoiding Sheffield also traverse this route.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Butt, R.V.J. (1995). The Directory of Railway Stations. Yeovil: Patrick Stephens Ltd. p. 200. ISBN 1-85260-508-1. R508.
  2. ↑ Dow, George (1962). Great Central, Volume Two: Dominion of Watkin, 1864-1899. Shepperton: Ian Allan. p. 38. ISBN 0-7110-1469-8.
  3. ↑ Dow 1962, p. 40
  4. 1 2 "A welcoming gateway to Rotherham". A Platform for Change. Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  5. ↑ Sheffield to Rotherham tram-train scheme delayed by year BBC News article 8 October 2015; Retrieved 22 January 2016
  6. ↑ GB eNRT December 2015 Edition, Tables 29, 31 and 33
  7. ↑ South TransPennine Timetable
Preceding station   National Rail   Following station
Northern
Northern
  Future services  
Sheffield Supertram
Meadowhall South
towards Cathedral		   Tram-train   Rotherham Parkgate
Terminus
Preceding station   National Rail   Following station
Northern
Northern
Disused railways
Tinsley   Eastern Region of British Railways
Sheffield Victoria-Doncaster Line
   Rotherham Road
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