On February 22nd 2010 work began on site for the redevelopment of Rotherham Central Railway Station in South Yorkshire – a key project to join the list for Rotherham’s £2 billion Renaissance.

Once developed the new £8.5million station will provide passengers with significantly improved facilities including a new ticket office, passenger lounge and a retail kiosk. Passengers will also benefit from new lifts providing better access to the platforms and trains for everyone, including people with disabilities, reduced mobility and those with heavy luggage or small children.

David Young, Director of Customer Experience at South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive said, "Passengers deserve state of the art facilities and the new station at Rotherham will provide a fully accessible, safe and secure environment for people to start and finish their journeys. SYPTE has worked hard recently on better connecting the town centre through public transport and the launch of the Freebee last year, ensures people can get around the town easily for free. With the redevelopment of the station we are improving another means of public transport within a development which will serve as a valuable function, making Rotherham better connected."

Sharing the exciting vision for the future of Rotherham the project has attracted investment from Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The European Union is part of Europe’s support for the regions economic development through the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme. Malcolm Taylor of Yorkshire Forward who manages the investment of ERDF said "European support is essential, especially in the current economic climate for projects like this to go ahead. Yorkshire Forward and Europe are pleased to be involved, working in partnership to regenerate the town for Rotherham and local people and provide rail passengers with this superb facility on completion." Other partners include South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, the Department for Transport, Network Rail and Northern Rail.

The borough council is also leading on a project to improve the public space around the station to better visually connect it to the town centre and canal. This will include a new terraced area and viewing platform overlooking the canal and a new footpath towards the Guest and Chrimes site improving linkages to the new civic building and proposed football stadium.

Councillor Gerald Smith, the councils Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Planning and Transportation and member of the South Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority said, "Almost half a million people a year use the station so this project is a real boost for Rotherham town centre. The new improved gateway will complement a range of projects started, or soon to start, as part of the Renaissance programme. The innovative design for the station has the potential to be a landmark, a symbol of the Renaissance ambitions as well as a means of attracting more jobs to the centre and providing Rotherham people with a public transport facility they can be proud of."

When the redevelopment is complete, early in 2011, the current facility will have been replaced by a state of the art railway station to join other redeveloped stations in South Yorkshire. On a recent visit to the area by the Rt Hon Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport, Barnsley, Sheffield and Doncaster were categorised as world class facilities and Rotherham will make the fourth in South Yorkshire.

Rail services will not be disrupted at the station during the construction. Work starts on site to construct a temporary facility which passengers will be able to use from mid March when the main station closes. Access to platform 2 will be across a temporary footbridge with steps and therefore people in wheelchairs and with reduced mobility will not be able to travel to and from the station. Alternative stations are available for people to use and full details of alternative travel to these stations on public transport is available from Traveline on 01709 515151.

Northern Rail will offer assistance to passengers through their Customer Relations Team on 08081 56 16 06, should they require transport to the alternative stations.

SYPTE is working with Rotherham Borough Council to mark this historic redevelopment in the town and will be engaging with local people in the coming weeks and months to populate a time capsule which will be buried under the new station towards the end of the redevelopment.

Thanks,
Staff at South Yorkshire Transport