Barnsley Central and South Yorkshire Mayor Dan Jarvis is leading the bid resubmission process to restore the railway line between Barnsley and Wakefield via Royston, as part of the Department for Transport’s Restore Your Railway Fund. 

Commenting, Dan Jarvis said: 

“Transport is the lifeblood of the economy. It’s why I’m working tirelessly to transform our public transport system in South Yorkshire and build a first-class public transport system. 

“This bid will bring potentially transformative employment, training and regeneration opportunities for the villages of Royston, Carlton and Lundwood and significantly improve rail connectivity across the borough and further afield. It is the missing piece of the jigsaw in enabling residents to access affordable and reliable rail services for work, study and leisure. 

“The Government was elected on a commitment to level up the North. It is vitally important that we see increased infrastructure spending in every town, city, region and nation of the UK. For far too long, communities in South Yorkshire have not received our fair share of investment.  

“If the Government is serious about levelling up, I can think of no better place to start than reopening the Barnsley to Wakefield via Royston line.”

Commenting, Royston Ward Councillor Caroline Makinson said: 

“This line being reopened would make a huge difference to the villages of Royston and Carlton, enabling commuters to travel much more quickly to Wakefield and on to Leeds. 

“The lack of a railway link has been a long-running issue locally. If successful, this bid would bring new opportunities for investment and regeneration for local residents.  

“I’m proud to be working closely with Dan and the Royston Ward Alliance to reopen this railway line and deliver real benefits for Royston and Carlton.”

Commenting, BMBC Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Culture, and Royston Ward Councillor Tim Cheetham said: 

“Restoring the Royston rail line would give us a great opportunity to help get cars off the road and reduce our carbon emissions, protecting our borough for future generations.  

“At the same time, it will create further job opportunities for local people within the regional economy, supporting our long-term plans to stimulate the growth of more and better jobs and homes. 

“I’ll continue to work closely with our partners on this exciting project.” 

Notes for Editors 

• Dan Jarvis has made promoting sustainability and tackling the climate emergency a top priority of his work as South Yorkshire Mayor. In November 2019, Mayor Jarvis declared a climate emergency in the City Region with the aim of reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality and engendering a greater level of modal shift away from cars and towards public and active transport. Under Mayor Jarvis’ leadership, South Yorkshire is making good progress towards Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2040. 
• The bid proposal has attracted widespread and cross-party support, including: the Sheffield City Region (SCR) and West Yorkshire Combined Authorities; Barnsley and Wakefield Councils; Dan Jarvis, Imran Ahmad Khan and Jon Trickett as local MPs; local elected members in Barnsley and Wakefield; local community and rail user groups; members of the public; and the business and private sector through the SCR Local Enterprise Partnership. This is a well-supported, ambitious and achievable proposal that would deliver significant transport, economic and social benefits for local communities in South and West Yorkshire.