Rotherham station set to reopen

The station has been closed since late last week after a deluge of rainfall hit South Yorkshire causing widespread flooding. The station was severely impacted by floodwater and, at its peak, the water almost reached the height of the platform.

Network Rail engineers have been working hard to clear floodwater from the area. The flooding caused severe damage to the railway, including to important safety critical signalling and electrical equipment, which has needed to be repaired ahead of the station reopening. Six teams from Network Rail have been working in the area simultaneously to carry out all the repair work needed, which has included testing cables and rebuilding seven cabinets with important lineside equipment inside.

Once Rotherham Central station reopens, work will continue on the lifts which were also damaged. Whilst these repairs are carried out, any passengers needing assistance are advised to speak to staff in the station’s booking office, who will arrange an accessible taxi for them.

Matt Rice, Route Director for Network Rail’s North and East Route, said: “It goes without saying how disruptive the extreme weather in South Yorkshire has been to transport networks over the past seven days, and while our teams’ work over the weekend allowed most train services to run this week, it has taken a few days longer to clear the significant amounts of water from the platforms at Rotherham Central and make the station safe and fit for use.

“My sincere thanks go to all the passengers who have had to change their plans or use alternative transport for the patience they have shown.”

Steve Hopkinson, Regional Director at Northern, said: “The past week has been extremely difficult for everyone in South Yorkshire and I’d like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding during the unprecedented disruption.

“We were able to restore services to most routes earlier this week and it’s great that Rotherham will, once again, have train services from tomorrow.

“Customers should though be aware that timetable amendments may be necessary as work continues to repair all the issues caused by the flood water.”