Don valley Railway

[Guest busdriver1]

I think there needs to be acceptance that the Woodhead tunnels aren't ever going to reopen to trains and the days of the Stocksbridge railway being a main line are history.

 

There is certainly potential to use the line for a fast commuter link into the City Centre though, given the various housing and commercial development taking place.

 

As mentioned by busdriver1 the option most talked about is a tram-train scheme, assuming the Rotherham pilot is successful, offering an extension of the Supertram network via the Don Valley line with a link bus and park & ride provided somewhere at the Stocksbridge end of the line. A curve could be constructed in the Nunnery Square area to connect the railway to the tramway.

I agree wholly about the tunnels, they are history that is certain.

An interesting comparison could be made with the tyne & Wear Metro system that built lines in sparsely populated areas and development followed quite quickly. Those areas are now highly sought after commuter dormitories. As for building a curve at Nunnery, that could be easily done if the will was there. No doubt there will be replies about cost benefits, surveys, passenger potential and so on. But remember, we had all them for the current tram system and they got them wrong so what REAL value is there in them?

[1978 14]

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As mentioned by busdriver1 the option most talked about is a tram-train scheme, assuming the Rotherham pilot is successful, offering an extension of the Supertram network via the Don Valley line with a link bus and park & ride provided somewhere at the Stocksbridge end of the line. A curve could be constructed in the Nunnery Square area to connect the railway to the tramway.

 

Track and track bed is already there to make a relatively simple tram/train link from the Don Valley line to Meadowhall at Nunnery. After lessons learned from the Rotherham experiment that may not be too difficult, but it doesn't solve the difficulty that Victoria is not a magnet for travellers from the Stocksbridge area into the centre of town.

 

Diverting new tram tracks off the existing heavy rail line down the Don Valley to get nearer the city centre would be more diffiicut and expensive. Ideally I return to a theme I've raised before. We should have a north/south and east/west underground section beneath the city. Money!

 

I'd point out that the Tyne & Wear Metro mostly uses suburban railway tracks first electrified in 1904. The major construction, and very major construction it was, was underground in both Newcastle and Gateshead. That ensures there is a choice of stations right in the centre of Newcastle - under Grey's Monument, at the Central railway station, between the two university sites, and at St James' Park! It's enlivened Newcastle city centre, but Gateshead and smaller towns along the routes have suffered.

 

There is no doubt that where it runs through estates built in that early 20th century period its popularity was reinforced. Reopening the line out to the north-west (closed in the 1930s) and the airport has helped the urban sprawl in that area. To the east towards the coast there has been a similar effect, but comparison with the Don Valley has be taken carefully. Most of the land is relatively flat. To the east reclaiming land spoiled by the aftermath of coal mining has provided ample sites for new building. Along the riverside there's much new development where the ship building industry has all but disappeared for ever.

 

Where they've won has been finding the windows of opportunity to claim grants from anywhere and everywhere.

[choogling 14]

Cant see the reopening of the tunnel for road use, if you are familiar with the dunford bridge entrance you will know why ,if not take a run up there .The re-routing of the national grid cables over ground would have many logistical and  environmental obstacle's to overcome in short a non runner. 

[geared 302]

4 hours ago, choogling said:

Cant see the reopening of the tunnel for road use, if you are familiar with the dunford bridge entrance you will know why ,if not take a run up there .The re-routing of the national grid cables over ground would have many logistical and  environmental obstacle's to overcome in short a non runner. 

It's not for road use per-se, they want to run trains along it that carry cars, like a mini version of the Eurotunnel.

 

I'm not sure the line/tunnel is even large enough to accommodate such a train??

[choogling 14]

2 hours ago, geared said:

It's not for road use per-se, they want to run trains along it that carry cars, like a mini version of the Eurotunnel.

 

I'm not sure the line/tunnel is even large enough to accommodate such a train??

Assuming its the same bore as the Thurgoland tunnel section I would say yes it would fit if the car carrying wagons were made for the job. The time savings for the Sheffield Manchester journey would depend on the time of year i.e  winter would be a big advantage ,but overall with loading and unloading cant see a big enough time saving to make it worthwhile or economic to run.

9 hours ago, doomedpoleca said:

https://www.exposedmagazine.co.uk/news/petition-launched-to-re-open-woodhead-railway-line-to-the-public/

 

Apparently a Petition has been Launched to open up the old Woodhead Railway Line to ease congestion on the A628. 

 

With the line currently being used to carry power cables through the Pennines, I can't see this being viable. Thoughts? 

only one bore is carrying cables,from this end you can see them going in or out  from the pylon.

[Eamonn Ward 10]

The Don Valley Railway Group has been reinvigorated in the last few months following publicity in the Star and elsewhere. It lost momentum when the focus in Stocksbridge changed overnight to urgent community action to save the Leisure Centre. The plans have been looked at by people working at a high level in national Transport projects and are seen as credible and deliverable if they get the right support. Do attend the monthly meetings (See the Facebook page) at The Harlequin pub to find out more and offer help.

[Annie Bynnol 612]

8 hours ago, Eamonn Ward said:

The Don Valley Railway Group has been reinvigorated in the last few months following publicity in the Star and elsewhere. It lost momentum when the focus in Stocksbridge changed overnight to urgent community action to save the Leisure Centre. The plans have been looked at by people working at a high level in national Transport projects and are seen as credible and deliverable if they get the right support. Do attend the monthly meetings (See the Facebook page) at The Harlequin pub to find out more and offer help.

Who has contributed anything meaningful since  2010, when the last report from anybody who knew anything about was produced for the Don Valley Railway, South Yorkshire PTE and Sheffield City Council?

Called "The Don Valley Railway Project", it was an engineering feasibility study by Ove Arup & Partners Ltd. donvalleyrailway.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/DVRF1.pdf

 

Even as an engineering study it questions:

sufficient customers usage

populations and destinations too far from route

line speed, operation and management

staffing

vehicles

frequency of 1 train per hour

unattractive journey times

 

 

The basic current road and tram links may not be attractive but is a far better option for the majority as they are:

more frequent

involve same or less changes

passes through areas where people live

goes to or connects to places where people want to go

 

 

The locals should also consider as well:

the impact of massive increase in housing developments along the route, which would be justified by the expenditure of public money

the loss of 'green belt'

increase in traffic in areas near the Park and Rides facilities at/near Deepcar and Wadsley Bridge

loss or reduction in current bus service

operational costs would not cover revenue -higher fares?

no age ENCTS  concession ?

 

As a business case and as a City Region strategy it is behind in the queue of other public transport initiatives.

 

 

 

 

[Annie Bynnol 612]

Budget announcement today:

Restoring your railway: successful bids for funds to investigate possibilities.

In our area:

 

Reintroduce passenger services via Barrow Hill line between Sheffield and Chesterfield,  Ideas Fund Round  1

New Station at Waverley, Sheffield - Chesterfield 2

Reopened lines and new passenger services, Gainsborough - Barton (extension of Sheffield service?)2

Reopen the Askern Branch line  3

Reopen the Don Valley line to passenger services  3

 

The Integrated Rail Plan due to be published last January has been delayed again.

It will contain detail of MML electrification between Market Harborough and Sheffield-or not.

Also the new version of HS2 eastern leg which will terminate at East Midland Parkway.

 

 

 

Edited October 27, 2021 by Annie Bynnol

[Guest busdriver1]

1 hour ago, Annie Bynnol said:

Budget announcement today:

Restoring your railway: successful bids for funds to investigate possibilities.

In our area:

 

Reintroduce passenger services via Barrow Hill line between Sheffield and Chesterfield,  Ideas Fund Round  1

New Station at Waverley, Sheffield - Chesterfield 2

Reopened lines and new passenger services, Gainsborough - Barton (extension of Sheffield service?)2

Reopen the Askern Branch line  3

Reopen the Don Valley line to passenger services  3

 

The Integrated Rail Plan due to be published last January has been delayed again.

It will contain detail of MML electrification between Market Harborough and Sheffield-or not.

Also the new version of HS2 eastern leg which will terminate at East Midland Parkway.

 

 

 

Will these survive the local appetite for expensive to construct tram / tram-train projects or will the local powers that be insist on them and fritter all the money away on just one line? ( and probably the least useful one).

[Annie Bynnol 612]

9 minutes ago, busdriver1 said:

Will these survive the local appetite for expensive to construct tram / tram-train projects or will the local powers that be insist on them and fritter all the money away on just one line? ( and probably the least useful one).

 £500 million Restoring Your Railway Fund invited MPs, local councils and community groups to submit bids, the above are part of the list of bids chosen for further investigation. There will not be much investigating and with a track record of -nothing-then the silly ones like Deepcar will have no chance. Barrow Hill would need to wait for new lines north from station and remodelling and would be delayed by the latest version of the downgraded HS2. Waverley is a simple winner if demand and 3tph could be provided. 

 

 

 

[Guest busdriver1]

39 minutes ago, Annie Bynnol said:

 Waverley is a simple winner if demand and 3tph could be provided. 

Most houses in Waverly have 1 or 2 cars and the bus services through there do nothing. 

I would be surprised if there was a demand. The only possible use to my mind would be if it included a park and ride site. That would be more use than nunnery square. 

[Andy C 85]

Given there is a proposal to run passengers services with new stations Stocksbridge to Sheffield and Sheffield to Chesterfield via Woodhouse/Beighton/Barrow Hill and the two lines join together there is some logic to suggest introducing a train service from Stocksbridge to Chesterfield with an interchange with Supertram at Nunnery Square - or alternatively run a tram-train network from Stocksbridge and Chesterfield running through into Sheffield City Centre on the tramway.