51-568: Don Valley Railway first formed as a heritage rail project in September 2003 to operate on the freight rail line between Stocksbridge Steel Works and Sheffield following the route of the former Woodhead Line between Deepcar and Sheffield, The project is developed by Don Valley Railway Ltd., a not-for-profit company and registered charity based in Stocksbridge , South Yorkshire . Original plans to operate heritage rail services for
102-472: A living museum in Stocksbridge, which will be centred on the history of steel making in the valley and provide a local visitor attraction . However now the focus is on finding Heritage Rail partners to operate services up the line. As part of this it is proposed to rejuvenate old stations along the route to receive trains from mainline heritage operators. Woodhead Line The Woodhead line
153-419: A boost in late June 2010 when a feasibility study draft indicated that the cost to develop a weekday commuter service along the route would be several times lower than initially estimated. A local government official supportive of the project cited reduced traffic as a primary benefit, leading to shorter commutes and a smaller regional carbon footprint . However, the same official admitted that raising capital for
204-519: A different route), continuing onwards to Huddersfield. The section from Deepcar to Sheffield is currently used for goods. The line opened in 1845. It was built by the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway with Joseph Locke as its engineer. In 1847, the railway merged with the Sheffield and Lincolnshire Junction Railway , the Great Grimsby and Sheffield Junction Railway and
255-511: A downturn in coal traffic across the Pennines, along with a need to eventually expensively upgrade or replace the non-standard electrical supply systems and Class 76 locomotives, resulted in the line's closure east of Hadfield. The last train operated on 18 July 1981 and the line was mothballed. The tracks were lifted in the mid-1980s, ending any short-term hopes of reopening. Almost the entire line east of Hadfield has now been lifted, apart from
306-612: A few short sections shared with other lines, notably at Penistone. The trackbed between Hadfield and the Woodhead Tunnel has currently been adapted as the Longdendale Trail for hikers and cyclists. In 2007, National Grid, the present owners of all three of the tunnels, proposed to move electricity cables from the Victorian to the 1953 tunnel. This work started in 2008 and was completed in 2012. This has meant it
357-508: A museum to celebrate the Manchester to Sheffield rail link. The museum is to be housed in a former signalling and telecommunications building at Guide Bridge railway station. Network Rail has been carrying out renovation work on the building since 2020. ITV 's Coronation Street character Roy Cropper is building a 00 gauge 1960s-era model layout of the line in the flat above his "Roy's Rolls" Cafe. Although mentioned previously,
408-399: A rotating flywheel as a store of kinetic energy which is then used to power the vehicle. A typical PPM flywheel is made from steel laminates , approximately 1 m (39 in) in diameter and 500 kg (1,100 lb) in mass, designed to rotate at a maximum speed of 2,500 rpm . The flywheel is mounted horizontally at the centre of the unit, beneath the seating area. The flywheel
459-520: A single PPM50 (Class 999) unit on the Stourbridge line on Sundays in 2006, with a Class 153 diesel multiple unit (DMU) providing a weekday service. In June 2009, under London Midland , the Class 153 was replaced by two PPM60 units, classified as Class 139 (with one as a spare), providing a 10-minute frequency service in both directions. Although the capacity of the unit (60 passengers) is less than
510-451: Is driven by an internal combustion engine or an electric motor. The flywheel is connected to the rail wheels via a hydrostatic variable transmission system. The wheels are driven without conversion into electricity as many other railcars utilising flywheel energy storage do. The flywheel allows the direct capture of brake energy (when slowing down or descending gradients) and its reuse for acceleration (called regenerative braking ). When
561-721: Is favoured by some groups opposing the construction of the Longdendale Bypass , a controversial £180m bypass for Mottram in Longdendale , Hollingworth and Tintwistle (which is officially known as the A57/A628 Mottram-in-Longdendale, Hollingworth & Tintwistle Bypass ). There are also plans to restore the route from Deepcar to Sheffield , as a double-tracked heritage line called the Don Valley Railway , to link up with
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#1732780765587612-484: Is now not possible to use the newer tunnel for railway traffic. In 2007, the Peak District National Park and other relevant local bodies provided many reasons why the tunnel should remain available for potential re-opening but, in September 2007, the government declined to intervene in the matter. The suburban passenger service between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield remains in service, but
663-553: The British Rail Class 139 . It also designed concepts for trams and other rail technology using alternative fuels such as gas and hydrogen, but was not successful in finding further buyers among transport operators. PPM was founded and directed by John Parry, who died 17 February 2023, and the company was liquidated later that year. Central Trains , then-owner of the West Midlands franchise, began operating
714-533: The EM1/Class 76 , for freight trains and some passenger duties, and EM2/Class 77 locomotives for express passenger trains. Given the steep gradients on the line, the locomotives were able to use regenerative braking on their descent from Woodhead. Rheostatic braking was also later added. Additionally, Class 506 electric multiple units were built for suburban services between Manchester, Glossop and Hadfield . A new depot, Reddish Electric Depot , situated on
765-833: The Fallowfield Loop line , was built in 1954 to maintain the new locomotives and EMUs. Having seen major investment in the 1950s, the line was controversially closed to passenger traffic on 5 January 1970. This was despite the Beeching Report earmarking the Hope Valley line for closure to passenger services instead. It was soon clear that the Hope Valley route through Edale would be required to remain open for social and network reasons and could handle all Manchester–Sheffield passenger traffic. The Class 77 locomotives, used to haul passenger trains, were sold to
816-522: The Netherlands Railways , where 1500 V DC electrification was (and still is) the standard. By the late 1970s, a large part of the remaining freight traffic consisted of coal trains from Yorkshire to Fiddlers Ferry power station near Widnes , which required a change to diesel haulage for the final part of the journey. By the early 1980s, the combination of alternative available routes, an absence of passenger traffic since 1970 and
867-478: The Sheffield Supertram at Nunnery Junction called "Sheffield Don Valley". In 2010, Don Valley Railway Ltd, Sheffield City Council and South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive proposed reopening the line to passenger services between Sheffield and Stocksbridge. Stations would be constructed at Stocksbridge, Deepcar, Wharncliffe Side and Oughtibridge with a Sheffield city centre terminus near to
918-677: The South Staffordshire Line between Stourbridge Junction and Brierley Hill , providing passenger services on the line for the first time since the Beeching Axe , but this did not proceed. Prior to entry into commercial service, testing took place on the Severn Valley Railway in March and April 2002 with a PPM50 unit operating between Kidderminster and Bewdley . The Parry flywheel storage technology
969-492: The 9 mile trip. At various times numerous station locations have been considered along the route: It is hoped that some of these can be incorporated into the planned services. Extrapolated figures from work done in 2006 to evaluate the viability of the rail service on the Don Valley Line by Arup for South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive found that although the level of subsidy per passenger would be less than
1020-423: The Class 999 unit. This was abandoned after a series of mechanical and electrical failures and due to the unit proving to be unsuitable for the long and steep gradients on the line. The unit was being reconfigured to address the problems with a redesigned chassis and conversion from LPG to diesel power and the trial was planned to be repeated. In January 2012, proposals emerged for new bigger PPMs to be used on
1071-599: The DMU, overall capacity is increased due to the greater frequency, up from four to six trains per hour. The trains were transferred to West Midlands Trains , operating under the West Midlands Railway brand, when the West Midlands franchise was refreshed in 2017. From 24 January 2011, Go! Cooperative planned a trial service between Alton and Medstead and Four Marks on the Mid-Hants Railway using
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#17327807655871122-618: The Don Valley Railway's website. Following the Feasibility Study Don Valley Railway are in the process of developing a business plan to operate passenger services on the route. In order to reduce the infrastructure costs to a minimum, the most viable introductory service is a non-stop shuttle between a station at Stocksbridge or Deepcar and a station in Sheffield, at or close to the site of
1173-683: The Grimsby Docks Company to form the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway ; it changed its name to the Great Central Railway (GCR) in 1897. Ownership passed to the LNER in 1923 and, finally, to British Railways Eastern Region in 1948. The original eastern terminus of the line was at Bridgehouses railway station . By the time of the creation of the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway in 1847,
1224-748: The M60, to Tinsley , near the M1. In March 2020, a bid was made to the Restoring Your Railway fund to get funds for a feasibility study into reinstating the line between Stocksbridge and Sheffield for passengers. This bid was unsuccessful. However a resubmitted bid was successful and was awarded funding in October 2021. In August 2023 it was revealed that the Woodhead Railway Heritage Group has submitted plans to create
1275-808: The Northern Way and the North West Rail Campaign. In 2003, the Greater Manchester Branch of the Institute of Logistics and Transport presented evidence to a Parliamentary Select committee mentioning Arriva 's interest in opening the Woodhead line and Tunnel as part of their bid for the Transpennine rail franchise. In 2006, Translink proposed opening the tunnel and the route for rail freight. This proposal
1326-608: The Nunnery Square Supertram stop. The project could cost £4.3 million at a minimum. On 18 January 2012, during a debate on the proposed Northern Hub (formerly known as the Manchester Rail Hub), Theresa Villiers , the Minister for Rail and Aviation, said "The hon. Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge has again called for the reopening of the Woodhead route. I have to say that was not one that
1377-745: The Trans-Pennine Rail Group, a broadly based group of County Councils, Unitary Authorities, Passenger Transport Executives and the Peak District National Park Authority, provided evidence to the Transport Select Committee which identified interest from bidders for the Transpennine rail franchise in reopening the Woodhead route. In 2007, the Transpennine Rail Group was wound up as its work was now being done by
1428-589: The UK rail network with the Stourbridge Town to Stourbridge Junction service. It is hoped that an adaption of this can be brought in on the Don Valley Railway. The business plan sets out options for expanding beyond the basic service and looks at other options for utilisation of the line. Stations at Oughtibridge, Wadsley Bridge and Neepsend are considered in the business plan along with the link to Supertram at Nunnery. The business plan also considers operating to
1479-495: The average on current (2006) supported services, that the additional subsidy would not be available. Therefore, in order to introduce a viable service Don Valley Railway considered other methods for operating the service than via a standard National Rail franchised services model. Don Valley Railway therefore considered utilising Ultra Light Rail Rapid Transit for the passenger service as operated by Parry People Movers . The West Midlands-based company has pioneered this technology on
1530-646: The difficulties of operating heavy steam-hauled coal trains on the Penistone–Wath section (the Worsborough branch); a line with steep gradients and several tunnels. Definitive plans were drawn up by the LNER in 1936; many of the gantries for the catenary were erected before the Second World War. The Second World War prevented progress on electrification, but the plans were restarted immediately after
1581-511: The dual purpose of providing infrastructure for tourism over the weekends, alongside regular commuter services have now shifted towards concentrating on the development of a viable commuter service - though with help of outside assistance heritage plans could be revised. In 2023, the Department for Transport announced that the Don Valley Line will be restored for passenger use. The proposed route runs along trackbed owned by Network Rail that
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1632-504: The east to bring in a cross-city service to serve Darnall, the Advanced Manufacturing Park, Orgreave and Woodhouse. Originally, at weekends and holidays Don Valley Railway ltd. planned to operate the Don Valley Railway line as a double tracked heritage railway , with Preserved Steam, Diesel and Electric trains running along the route between Sheffield City Centre and Deepcar . In addition they hope to establish
1683-586: The electricity supply was converted to standard 25 kV AC overhead in December 1984. The Class 506 EMUs were then withdrawn and replaced by Class 303 EMUs from the Glasgow area. The service is now operated (as of 2013) by Class 323 EMUs. The Huddersfield line platforms at Penistone railway station remain open, used by the Huddersfield - Sheffield diesel-operated local trains, which traverse
1734-491: The electrification work was Bruce Peebles & Co. Ltd. , Edinburgh. Following technological developments, especially in France , 1.5 kV DC was soon superseded by the later network standard of 25 kV AC. This left the Woodhead line as the only main line in the UK with 1.5 kV DC electrification. New electric locomotives for the line were constructed at Gorton locomotive works , Manchester. These were
1785-467: The layout – as yet incomplete – first featured in episode 8345, first aired on 17 March 2014, when the line's Class 76 and Class 77 locos were mentioned. Parry People Movers Parry People Movers Ltd. (PPM) was a small British manufacturer of lightweight railcars that use flywheel energy storage for traction, allowing electric systems to operate without overhead wires or third rails. The company built one prototype and two production vehicles,
1836-581: The line the short distance between the former Huddersfield Junction and Barnsley Junction. One other part of the line remained open to traffic, albeit goods, and that is the single line from Woodburn Junction, on the Sheffield–Lincoln line , to Deepcar to serve the Liberty Speciality steel works at Stocksbridge . Freight trains carrying steel products continued using this line between Aldwarke and Stocksbridge until 29 September 2024 when
1887-599: The line was mothballed . In 1967, it was proposed that parts of the route and the Woodhead Tunnel be used as part of a new Manchester to Sheffield motorway. Only a short section of this motorway within Greater Manchester, now known as the M67 , was ever built. In 1999, Central Railway proposed using the Woodhead tunnel as part of an ambitious scheme to connect Liverpool to the Channel Tunnel. In 2002,
1938-481: The old Sheffield Victoria Station. This would serve these two stations only with a half-hourly service. With the route being a single track with no places where it is possible for trains to pass, this service pattern allows a half-hourly service to operate on the route without the need to build extra track. This would also link a station in Deepcar or Stocksbridge with Sheffield in a service that takes only 11 minutes for
1989-428: The plan's feasibility, and that the executive had been lending support and advice for the project. In early 2010, SYPTE reaffirmed its support for the project, contributing funds toward professional assessment of the business plan to reopen the line and the feasibility of the line itself; additional funding for the assessment was to be provided by Sheffield City Council and private supporters. The railway project received
2040-616: The project remained difficult in the economic environment of mid-2010. The Feasibility Study, undertaken by specialist consultants Arup, looked at the engineering viability of a commuter service on the route and looked at the viability of the project from previous studies. This engineering feasibility study has shown that: Arup recommended that further study is conducted into the following areas in particular: operational arrangements; type and cost of rolling stock; station layout arrangements; track gauge and weight restrictions; sources of funding and patronage estimates. The study can be found on
2091-549: The railway station at Bridgehouses had been outgrown. A 0.6-mile (1 km) extension including the Wicker Arches viaduct, engineered by John Fowler , was constructed to the new Sheffield Victoria station , which opened in 1851. Both goods and passenger traffic were very heavy; therefore, some sections of the line were quadrupled. Electrification was first mooted by the Great Central Railway, owing to
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2142-419: The steelworks at Stocksbridge . Stocksbridge resident David Goodison first conceived the idea of rehabilitating the line in 2003, and local authorities, politicians, and community groups have since voiced their support. The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) included the proposal as a potential reopened route in its 2009 Rail Strategy & Delivery Plan, noting the ongoing investigation of
2193-415: The unit as a tram without any engine or overhead electrification at all. Instead, the flywheel could be re-energised at each station, storing enough power to carry it on to the next. In April 2019, PPM announced plans to upgrade the original Class 999 PPM50 prototype with a diesel power unit and to seek approval for its entry into passenger service as 'No 139000'. In February 2020, the refurbished vehicle
2244-401: The vehicle brakes, the hydrostatic transmission feeds the energy back into the flywheel. Since the short-term power demand for acceleration is provided by the energy stored in the flywheel, there is no need for a large engine. A variety of small engine types can be used including LPG, diesel or electric traction. On a route with stations a short distance apart it is theoretically possible to use
2295-773: The vicinity of Penistone and the Sheffield to Deepcar section are still open, although the latter is goods-only. The track has been lifted on other sections and much of the trackbed now forms part of the Trans-Pennine Trail and National Cycle Route 62 . The route from Manchester to Sheffield was 41 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (66.8 km) with stops at Gorton, Guide Bridge, Newton, Godley Junction, Broadbottom, Glossop and Dinting, Glossop Central, Hadfield, Crowden, Woodhead, Dunford Bridge, Hazlehead Bridge, Penistone, Wortley, Deepcar, Oughtibridge, Wadsley Bridge and Neepsend. Services still run from Manchester to Glossop and Hadfield; trains also run from Sheffield to Penistone (via
2346-417: The war; however, this time with plans for a new double-track Woodhead Tunnel . This third Woodhead Tunnel was constructed to replace the twin single-bore Victorian tunnels, which had been damaged by years of smoke from steam engines. A second Thurgoland Tunnel was also required, as the existing tunnel had inadequate clearance for twin electrified lines. The Manchester–Sheffield–Wath electrification project
2397-527: Was a railway line linking Sheffield , Penistone and Manchester in the north of England. A key feature of the route is the passage under the high moorlands of the northern Peak District through the Woodhead Tunnels . The line was electrified in 1953 and closed between Hadfield and Penistone in 1981. The Manchester to Glossop/Hadfield section is still in operation; east of the Pennines ,
2448-559: Was constructed in the 1840s by the Sheffield, Ashton-Under-Lyne and Manchester Railway (later the Great Central Railway ) as part of their line between Manchester and Sheffield . This line, which became known as the Woodhead Line, closed to passengers in 1970. The portion of the Woodhead Line that the Don Valley Railway propose to use is currently used as a freight-only line linking the national rail network with tracks owned by
2499-525: Was finally completed in 1955, using overhead wires energised at 1,500 volts DC. Whilst this was tried and tested technology (and is still standard in the Netherlands ), the comparatively low voltage meant that a large number of electricity substations and heavy cabling would be required. It also made regenerative braking by transfer of power from descending to ascending trains in the same section of line comparatively straightforward. The main contractor for
2550-551: Was prioritised as part of the Northern Hub because of the capacity that is still available on the Hope Valley line." In 2017, a newly formed company, Grand Northern Group, announced plans to reopen the line to freight traffic as part of a plan for a 'rolling highway' which would carry lorries on freight trains and relieve congestion on the Woodhead Bypass . The plans would see trains running from Bredbury , by J25 of
2601-722: Was tested on the Stourbridge Town Branch Line in the West Midlands in 2006. Since Central Trains had no Sunday service on the branch, the initiative was brought to test a PPM50 model at that time, with a view to replacing the Class 153 single-car DMU that previously worked the Branch with a unit with much lower operating costs. The trial lasted for a year. PPMs were demonstrated on narrow gauge railways ( Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway , Ffestiniog Railway , and Welsh Highland Railway ). PPMs utilise
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