Airport rail link plans move forward

Proposals for a new national and regional rail connection to Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which could potentially support the creation of 33,000 jobs, have moved forward with the submission of an outline business case.The Sheffield City Region, Doncaster Council and the airport’s owner Peel Group have submitted formal proposals to the governemnt.The GatewayEast Growth Hub Rail scheme proposes an additional 4.5 miles of new track to add high-speed electrified rail connectivity to the airport.The scheme could support the creation of 33,000 jobs in the North within the next ten years, 10,000 of which within five years.The plans would increase the number of people with access to Doncaster Sheffield Airport via a sustainable transport mode from 2.4 million to 9 million within a 90-minute rail journey. They could also reduce the need for 18,000 Trans Pennine journeys taken by car, taking about 23,000 tonnes of CO2 off the UK’s road network.A detailed business case has been submitted by the three partners seeking inclusion of the project in the Department for Transport (DfT’s) Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline. A critical step in getting the project funded and off the ground.