Huge new £166million railway station to transform English market town with first mainline trains in 50 years
A HUGE new £166million railway station is set to completely transform a quiet English market town — as it welcomes mainline trains for the first time in 50 years.
The long-awaited transport hub promises to boost local business, slash travel times, and reconnect the community with major cities across the UK.
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Rotherham is on track for a major glow-up - with a whopping £166million Gateway Station set to put the town back on the UK's rail map.
South Yorkshire bigwigs are set to sign off another £11.35million later this month to push the game-changing project into its next phase, bringing swanky design plans and fresh procurement moves.
Network Rail reckon the brand-new four-platform station could cost between £133m and £166m, but locals say it's worth every penny to bring mainline trains back to the borough after half a century.
The huge scheme will see a modern integrated rail and tram-train stop built at Forge Way, Parkgate - promising to supercharge Rotherham's regional and national links and spark a brand-new Innovation Campus right next door.
SYMCA bosses have hailed the Rotherham Gateway scheme as 'the most significant growth and regeneration opportunity across the North of England'.
The SYMCA report added: ""At the heart of these plans is the proposal to radically enhance the connectivity of this site, not only within the borough and South Yorkshire, but to and from other centres of advanced manufacturing, international gateways and London with the development of a new Rotherham Gateway Station."
Rotherham Council is leading the charge, having already secured £10million through the Town Deal and tapped into a further £1million from SYMCA's City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement to put together a bold Station Masterplan and snap up key land.
The £166million project - which includes a brand-new mainline station and tram-train stop at Parkgate - is still awaiting full government backing, as it's currently classed as a Department for Transport 'retained scheme'.
Pencilled in for late 2030, it promises quicker trains to Sheffield, Doncaster, Leeds - and faster links to the North West, Midlands, North East, plus ports and airports.
But that's not all. The whole area is set to boom with over 355,000 sq ft of cutting-edge manufacturing and business space, alongside around 250 new homes - adding to the 2,500 already planned nearby at Bassingthorpe Farm.
All Aboard the Scenic Express: Discovering UK's Most Picturesque Train Routes
Green thumbs will be pleased too, with 100,000 sq ft earmarked for parks and green spaces, plus 32,000 sq ft of public hangout spots.
Plus, about 200 parking spots are in the plans - and no extra roadworks are expected beyond access upgrades.
Improvements will also be made to walking and cycling routes to make it easier for people to reach the station on foot or by bike.
The funding pot is still up in the air, with authorities hunting for cash from new transport grants - but nothing's nailed down yet, meaning land buys and next steps are a bit of a gamble.
Sun Travel's favourite train journeys in the world
Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
"After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass." - Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
"Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you're whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too - as you'll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way." Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
"Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what's so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won't have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord." - Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
"From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond." - Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
"The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city's high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I've witnessed anywhere." - Ryan Gray
The main station will set back around £72 million - soaring to £94 million when factoring in risks and inflation.
The tram-train stop adds nearly £28 million (or £40 million with extras), and a four-platform build could push the total to over £127 million.
With government plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail and a decade-long infrastructure strategy due soon, Rotherham's future looks on track — if the money lines up.
According to the BBC, when Rotherham Gateway Station opens, it will reintroduce mainline trains to Rotherham for the first time since the 1980s.
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