Councillors thank campaigners following decision on disused railway line

A PROPOSED scheme to reopen a disused railway line for passenger services will not go ahead.

Following discussions with the Department for Transport and Network Rail, the proposal to reopen the disused Royston railway line for passenger services will no longer go ahead.

The scheme was first submitted as part of the Reopening Railway funding bid back in 2020, which was unsuccessful. A later funding bid was also not supported.

After the unsuccessful funding bids, an independent feasibility study was carried out to evaluate the scheme thanks to the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.

The feasibility study outcome was submitted to the Department for Transport and Network Rail, who evaluated the proposals and stated that they could not support the scheme or any further funding.

Given that their support to progress any scheme is needed, the council had to take the decision not to progress with any further work on the reinstatement of the Royston railway line at this time.

Coun. James Higginbottom, Cabinet Spokesperson for Environment and Highways, said: “Unfortunately, at this moment in time we have not had the go-ahead for the re-opening of Royston rail station from the Department for Transport and Network Rail.

“The campaign has taken considerable work to get to this stage, and funding for the feasibility study which we funded, has given us a good plan, ready to go. But unfortunately, at this moment in time the investment required has not been made available to make it happen.

“We have received the consultancy report that lays out how we could re-open a Rail station at Royston and get a passenger service back up and running, which we will keep until such a time things improve and we can make it a reality. Thank you once again to all that have shown us support for this campaign.”

Coun. Caroline Makinson, Deputy Leader of Barnsley Council, said: “I would like to thank those in Royston who supported the campaign for reopening the rail scheme.

“We have held a local community meeting with all the campaigners that have been actively involved to give them the latest feedback. They agreed at this moment in time we have done as much as we can. The wider public in Royston have been supportive of our campaign and we want to thank all that have been involved.”