MAJOR work which will improve stations and tracks along a well-used train route has been praised by an MP.
The ‘Penistone Line’, which starts at Barnsley Interchange and makes its way through Dodworth, Silkstone Common and Penistone stations on its way to Huddersfield, will benefit from a raft of work.
Labour - in its budget - confirmed the previous Conservative-led government had pledged to upgrade the line but did not properly cost the policy, so it has been included in the Levelling Up Fund.
The line currently faces capacity constraints and reliability issues due to its single-track sections.
In Parliament, MP Marie Tidball supported Paul Davies, MP for Colne Valley, in asking about next steps for the Penistone Line project.
Marie said: “This line is a vital transport link connecting Kirklees, Barnsley and Sheffield, which also serves several rural communities including Penistone, Brockholes, Honley, Dodworth and Silkstone Common.
“I welcome the commitment to ‘grasping the nettle’ and ensuring our transport system is improved across Penistone and Stocksbridge by upgrading this line.
“I know the difference improvements to the Penistone Line will make to people commuting from our towns and villages to work, accessing city centres across South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire at the weekend, attending college and sixth form and travelling across the rural parts of our constituency for vital health services.
“I recently held a constituency meeting to hear how you want this upgrade project to benefit our constituency and I look forward to meeting with ministers to ensure this vital project is progressed.”
The Chronicle understands track layouts and signals will be the first to see work, with plans for a half-hourly service - effectively doubling the current schedule - to follow.
The upgrade project will address several challenges currently facing the route, with its inadequate infrastructure resulting in overcrowded trains, restricted frequency of services and long journey times.
Currently, only one train per hour runs and the average journey time is about an hour and 15 minutes from end to end.
Ms Tidball added: “These investments seek to upgrade transport links to improve regional connectivity, delivering transport infrastructure that puts passengers at the heart of rail services and delivers economic growth to the region.
“The Conservative government made numerous empty promises to upgrade our line, but hadn’t allocated any actual money so the project could go ahead.
“This Labour government knows the difference that good local transport routes makes to opportunities for our constituency, better connecting Dodworth, Silkstone Common and Penistone to Barnsley, Huddersfield and Sheffield.”
