BARNSLEY MP and Mayor of South Yorkshire Dan Jarvis has blasted Barnsley’s railway service saying using it is like ‘going back in time 30 years’.
Mr Jarvis has raised concern about unreliable and overcrowded trains and believes poor service could be stopping Barnsley’s young people from accessing employment opportunities elsewhere in South Yorkshire.
“The truth is, when you stand on the platform at Barnsley, it’s like going back in time,” he said.
“Nothing’s changed in 30 years. For some time I’ve said that is not good enough.
“We need much better services for people who use them on a regular basis.
“I’m a commuter. I’ve always used the trains a lot as an MP travelling to London and back, but now in my role as Mayor as well, I’m regularly travelling back and forth to Sheffield.
“The service is just not as good as it should be.
“The trains are old and tired, often people are having to stand for the duration of their journey, because the carriages are packed.
“For many people, travelling on our trains is just not a pleasant experience. People deserve more reliable, modern and spacious trains.”
Dan said problems on the network had got worse since a raft of timetable changes last month, and while there had not been the level of cancellations and delays seen in other areas of the country, there had been a knock-on effect on the network, and Barnsley’s commuters continued to suffer overcrowding and delays.
“As many people tell me, that disruption has a serious knock on effect for the rest of their day, especially if they’re late for work, or for important hospital appointments. We need a rail service we can set our clocks by, and that’s not what we’re getting.”
As Mayor, Dan will be taking the lead on transport across South Yorkshire, and this week it was confirmed he will also be taking a seat on the board of Transport for the North - England’s first Sub-national transport body which ams to transform the transport system across the North of England.
“I want to use my seat on the TFN board to work with national government, Network Rail, and the rail providers to look at collectively how we can improve our rail network.”
Dan is also spearheading the campaign to bring in excess of £100m to South Yorkshire to improve transport links, primarily the road network, through a bid to the government’s Transforming Cities Fund.
This would help improve access to the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, the Advanced Well-being Centre in Sheffield, Doncaster Airport and Barnsley’s Digital Campus at what is currently the Courthouse car park, creating what he calls a Global Innovation Corridor.
“The advanced Manufacturing Park at Rotherham offers some extremely high quality apprenticeships that our young people can access, but they’ve got to be able to get there,” said Dan.
“I’m absolutely confident that transport is a very major barrier that can prevent our young people, and also adults too, from accessing these opportunities within South Yorkshire.”
He is calling on the transport secretary to come up with real, workable solutions to tackle the issues, and also some short-term solutions to take the pressure off the network.
Some help could already be on the horizon with the imminent removal of the level crossing in the town centre, which will create additional capacity on the railway line.
Work is due to start soon on a new £5m footbridge in the town centre which will allow the complete closure of the Jumble Lane level crossing.
Network Rail is contributing £2m to the scheme, partly because the level crossing is deemed dangerous.
But a report earlier this year revealed the move would also open up the possibility for improved rail services.
It will mean more trains will be able to travel the line without the logistical restriction of the crossing, and the bridge has had to be designed high enough to allow future potential electrification of the line.
The report, to Barnsley Council's ruling cabinet, said: “The new bridge connection is important in the long term plans for expansion of capacity on the Sheffield to Leeds railway line.
“Facilitating the closure of the existing level crossing allows for increased capacity at Barnsley station. Barnsley’s position on the corridor between Leeds and Sheffield puts it in a unique position in terms of public transport provision for future rail growth and opportunities arising from HS2 and this project will provide key facilitation works for this.”
