Doncaster Sheffield Airport railway station

Doncaster Sheffield Airport railway station (also known as Aerotropolis) is a proposed railway station in the Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) terminal area to allow an interchange of services between rail and air. The area used to have a railway station called Finningley to the north-east of the airfield, and was used by personnel from the former Royal Air Force base that the airport is sited on (RAF Finningley). However, the proposed station would be a new-build facility on a new section of railway connecting the airport with the East Coast Main Line (ECML).

Doncaster Sheffield Airport
Map of the area with new line shown in green
Not to scale
Not all railway lines shown
LocationEngland
Coordinates53°28′40″N 1°01′07″W
Grid referenceSK651984

History

A railway station was opened up at Finningley in 1867 on the Doncaster–Lincoln line. It was closed in 1961, but used sporadically over the next twenty years to bring people to RAF Finningley's annual airshow.[1]

The airport was opened up to civilian traffic in 1996 when the Royal Air Force left.[2] Reopening the former railway station at Finningley on the Doncaster–Lincoln line was mooted before DSA proposed a new build railway in late 2016, with formal talks with Network Rail being held in 2017.[3] The plan would be to build a new section of railway looping southwards off the Doncaster–Lincoln Line, heading through the airport estate and joining up with the East Coast Main Line south of the airfield boundary. The line would stretch for 4.5 miles (7.2 km)[4] but would require 7 miles (11 km) of new line with junctions at both ends.[5] Initial costings placed the scheme at £100 million, but by 2018, a more detailed estimate was given as £170 million for the station and £280 million for all the works including "unexpected circumstances".[6] By 2020, the estimated cost was £300 million as a flyover junction would be needed at the southern end of the spur at Bawtry.[7]

With ancillary works and new housing, the project is believed to be able to generate 73,000 jobs in the local community,[8] and the whole linked project was described in the press as being Aerotropolis.[9] Doncaster Sheffield Airport, Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and Doncaster Council all joint funded a 2017 feasibility study into the link proposal[10] and it has gained popular support from the business community and local MPs.[11] In August 2018 Peel Airports Group revealed that over 90% of those who had been polled in a public consultation were in favour of the project.[12]

In the vision for the new station and diversion, the airport envisages six services through station per hour from several operators both national and local. This would put 9 million people within 90 minutes of the airport[13] which would allow people living as far south as Stevenage and Welwyn to access the airport at Doncaster faster than either Heathrow or Gatwick.[14] Network Rail (NR) included the proposal in their 2017 East Coast Main Line route study. NR said that any connection to the main line would have to be timetabled in a such a way that it did not conflict with existing main line services.[15] The station is also being proposed as a starting point for local businesses and the Yorkshire Wildlife Park.

If the diversion and station do not go ahead as planned, the airport have devised a back-up plan for a community railway station on the former Finningley railway station site. This plan was first published in 2008 and would require an upgrade to the services on the Doncaster–Lincoln Line.[16]

Funding

In October 2020, the UK Government refused the business case for the project. A Department for Transport spokesperson said that "On the basis of a rigorous assessment, there were significant concerns regarding the current proposal but we remain committed to improving connectivity to Doncaster Sheffield Airport." [17]

References
  1. "Disused Stations: Finningley Station". www.disused-stations.org.uk. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  2. Delve, Ken (2006). Northern England : Co. Durham, Cumbria, Isle of Man, Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Yorkshire. Ramsbury: Crowood. p. 132. ISBN 1-86126-809-2.
  3. "Rail link 'essential' for airport growth". BBC News. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  4. Grainger, John, ed. (10 July 2018). "On the runway to an era of prosperity". The Yorkshire Post. Yorkshire Vision. pp. 40–41. ISSN 0963-1496.
  5. "Doncaster Sheffield Airport announces ambition to build rail station connected to ECML". www.railtechnologymagazine.com. 26 March 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  6. Kessen, David (21 March 2018). "Proposed £280 million Doncaster airport rail link could create 70,000 jobs". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  7. Johnston, Howard (1 July 2020). "Regional News - Bawtry". Rail Magazine. No. 908. Peterborough: Bauer Media. p. 24. ISSN 0953-4563.
  8. "Airport rail line 'to create 73,000 jobs'". BBC News. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  9. Clark, Jess (23 March 2018). "Doncaster Sheffield airport 'aerotropolis' plans unveiled". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  10. Dyson, Andrew, ed. (September 2017). "Feasibility study to belaunched into Doncaster Airport link". Today's Railways. No. 189. Sheffield: Platform 5. p. 20. ISSN 1475-9713.
  11. Flint, Caroline (3 January 2017). "Caroline Flint: Rail links put us on right lines for aviation's success". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  12. Harris, Nigel, ed. (29 August 2018). "Public Support for Airport Link Plan". Rail Magazine. No. 860. Peterborough: Bauer Media. p. 21. ISSN 0953-4563.
  13. Casci, Mark (21 March 2018). "Aerotropolis: Futuristic vision to turn Yorkshire airport into international transport hub and create 73,000 jobs". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  14. "A Northern Vision for a National Connected Economy" (PDF). flydsa.co.uk. pp. 18–25. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  15. "East Coast Main Line Route Study" (PDF). networkrail.co.uk. December 2017. p. 33. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  16. "Doncaster Sheffield Airport unveils railway station plans to support 'Aerotropolis' | Global Rail News". Global Rail News. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  17. BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-54632396
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