Essential construction works on the Hope Valley Line are set to begin later this month with an estimated budget of £145m, upgrading reliability between Manchester and Sheffield.
These upgrade works are set to remove several bottlenecks on the Hope Valley line to allow passenger trains to overtake slower freight trains and improve reliability, helping people get to their destinations on time.
The works are to be carried out by Network Rail and contractor VolkerRailStory Joint Venture, beginning on Sunday 29th May. These will continue every weekend throughout July, seeing Dore & Totley, Grindleford, Bamford and Hathersage stations close, to allow the contractor work to begin, building an additional railway line and make key station improvements.
The £145m improvements will see many vital improvements for the station, including a new platform and footbridge with lifts, creating more accessibility for passengers. Platforms will gain extensions to allow for more carriages on services, accompanied by signalling improvements along the line to improve reliability, allowing for more dependable travel. A new overbridge at Hathersage West will replace the current foot crossing, thus improving safety within the station.
Hannah Lomas, Principal Programme Sponsor for Network Rail, said:
“We’re so pleased to see this major work begin – it’ll make Hope Valley stations and train services better and improve reliability for passengers in the future.
“There will be some changes to services and car park closures while our work takes place, so I’d like to thank passengers for bearing with us and apologise for any inconvenience.”
Chris Nutton, Major Projects Director for TransPennine Express, said:
“These works are a vital step towards delivering better services across the Pennines between Sheffield and Manchester, improving the infrastructure to help make our customers journeys more reliable and upgrading stations we serve.
"While these engineering works take place on the Hope Valley line, there will be a number of changes to TransPennine Express services, and we’d advise our customers to check carefully for the latest advice before they travel.”
The improvements to accessibility in the station, accompanied by the signalling investment will afford passengers with smoother, more dependable journeys that will encourage return to rail usage, post pandemic.
