Sheffield transport: Seven major 'let downs' that harmed South Yorkshire including axing HS2

A Sheffield transport expert has hit out at seven big ‘let downs’ over the last 10 years and called on government to ‘get spades in the ground’ before it is too late.

Peter Kennan, co-chair of Sheffield Chamber’s transport forum, listed the disappointments - including axing HS2 - as well as schemes that are live but taking ‘SO long'. They include a second fast train per hour from Sheffield to Leeds, opening the Barrow Hill line between Chesterfield and Sheffield and the Don Valley Line between Sheffield and Stocksbridge, and a new station at Waverley.

He spoke out after Grant Shapps, then transport secretary, in 2020 pledged £500m to re-open railway lines and stations. Recent analysis shows only 11 miles of track have since reopened, in Devon.

Mr Kennan said: “The longer things take, the more likely it is they will not happen. I've seen it in my LEP role - endless meetings, endless stages needed to prove a cost/benefit case, endless consultants’ reports demanded by the Department for Transport and HM Treasury to ensure not a pound is spent without rigorous scrutiny. The trouble is, worthy as it is to protect public money, it means that things just do not get done.”

He added: “So, a mission for government in 2024 is surely to get some spades in the ground and get some schemes underway. Is it too late though?”

A general election this year could see a new government, of whatever colour, scrapping projects, he added.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Restoring railways drives tourism, boosts local businesses and encourages investment to the region, and thanks to our Network North plan we are redirecting savings from HS2 towards restorations in South Yorkshire including lines for Don Valley and Barrow Hill – as well as a new station at Waverley.”

Seven areas where South Yorkshire has been ‘let down’ according to Peter Kennan.

He said: “It is hard to find any wins over the past 10 years.”

1: HS2 to Leeds, with a Sheffield city centre station, became an East Midlands Parkway station, which became a full scrapping of the whole route north of Birmingham.

2: Northern Powerhouse Rail in full including South Yorkshire to Hull, Sheffield to Leeds and South Yorkshire to Manchester. Not happening.

3: Failing even now to commit to electrifying the Midland Main Line from London to Sheffield. Originally announced in 2013, it was cancelled in 2017 to save money but revived in 2020.

4: Spending £137m to upgrade the Hope Valley Line to Manchester to allow an extra fast train every hour (three up from two). Then saying there was no capacity for it at stations. The scheme, set to finish in spring, has taken more than 10 years to deliver.

5: Failure to intervene with the closure of Doncaster Sheffield Airport despite a prime ministerial commitment at the despatch box to do "something."

6: Failure to pursue the Trans-Pennine tunnel to improve road connections from South Yorkshire to Greater Manchester. 

7: Failure to prioritise major road schemes including pushing back the date for the A1(M) widening from Doncaster to Darrington near Ferrybridge.

Mr Kennan insisted he was not being political, just supporting “greener, fairer growth for South Yorkshire, with transport improvements being a key driver of productivity improvements.”

Sheffield Chamber is asking businesspeople to share their views on the region's transport infrastructure.