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Saturday 19 Feb 2022

Passengers in South Yorkshire urged to check before travelling as Rotherham Central set to close due to imminent flooding

Region & Route:

Eastern

Rotherham Central will be closed from the start of service on Sunday 20 February as heavy rain is expected to cause severe flooding.

Network Rail has made the pre-emptive decision to divert trains around Rotherham Central Station on Sunday 20 February based on current Environmental Agency river level readings. Heavy rain and rising river levels are expected to leave the tracks submerged by water. Northern services between Doncaster and Sheffield will still run, but will divert around Rotherham Central. Tramtrain services won't run between Tinsley and Parkgate, but will divert via Meadowhall.

Before the lines can reopen, the water levels will have to drop significantly so Network Rail engineers can carry out safety inspections. Floodwater can dislodge ballast, the stones which support the track, and cause damage to lineside electrical equipment. Any debris which has washed up on the railway will also need to be removed. All of this work will need to be completed before train services are able to resume in this area.

However, by acting before any flooding hits the station, Network Rail engineers are planning on removing critical infrastructure from the ground to reduce the impact of flood damage, and hopefully reopen the station sooner.

A decision on when to reopen the station will be taken once the extent of the flooding is known, but the closure could run into the early part of next week.

Matt Rice, Route Director for Network Rail, said: “As we have seen across much of the network this week, severe weather brings severe challenges for the railway. We have taken the pre-emptive measure to close Rotherham Central as river levels are already rising due to heavy rain and we are expecting the water to rise over the tracks.

“We haven’t taken this decision lightly and have done so with the safety of our passengers and train staff in mind.

“We would like to reassure passengers that we’ll be doing all that we can to get them moving again and we thank all those impacted for their patience."

The continued adverse weather is expected to continue to cause disruption on many lines across the weekend. Passengers are strongly urged to check their journey before travelling, which they can do via National Rail Enquiries or by visiting www.northernrailway.co.uk or www.stagecoachbus.com/supertram.