# Sheffield station

Sheffield station (formerly Pond Street and later Sheffield Midland) is a combined railway station and tram stop in Sheffield, England; it is the busiest station in South Yorkshire, and the second busiest in Yorkshire & the Humber, after Leeds. Adjacent is the Sheffield Supertram stop.

## History
### 1870 – 1960

The station was opened in 1870 by the Midland Railway to the designs of the company architect John Holloway Sanders. It was the fifth and last station to be built in Sheffield city centre.
The station was built on the 'New Line', which ran between Grimesthorpe Junction, on the former Sheffield and Rotherham Railway, and Tapton Junction, just north of Chesterfield. This line replaced the Midland Railway's previous route, the 'old road', to London, which ran from Sheffield Wicker via Rotherham.
The new line and station were built despite some controversy and opposition locally. The Duke of Norfolk, who owned land in the area, insisted that the southern approach be in a tunnel and the land known as The Farm landscaped to prevent the line being seen. Some years later the tunnel was opened out into a cutting. Sheffield Corporation was so concerned about the eastern side of the city being cut off from the city centre that it insisted that public access be preserved across the railway site.
The station and Pond Street Goods Depot opened on a damp and cold day without any celebrations. There were originally different passenger entrances for each class. The original station buildings have been preserved and are between island platforms 2 to 5.
The station was given two extra platforms and a new frontage in 1905 at a cost of £215,000 (equivalent to £29,160,000 in 2023). The enlargements consisted of creating an island platform out of the old platform 1 and building a new platform 1 and a new entrance. These works were overseen by the Chief Architect to the Midland Railway Charles Trubshaw.
Offices were built at the north end of the 300 feet (91 m) long carriageway rooftop. A large parcels office was built to the south of the main buildings. Two footbridges connected the platforms, the one to the north for passengers, the one to the south for station staff and parcels. The tracks were covered by two overall roofs. The older and larger spanned platforms 5 and 6, and an identical structure can still be viewed today at Bath Green Park railway station; the other platforms 1 and 2. Wartime damage put the roofs beyond economic repair; hence, they were removed in the autumn of 1956 and replaced by low-level awnings.

### 1960 – 2002

The 1960s saw the introduction of the Class 45 and Class 46 diesel-electric engines, known as Peaks. Sheaf House was built in 1965 adjacent to the station to house British Rail's Sheffield Division headquarters. As part of the reconstruction of the area as the "Gateway to Sheffield", it was demolished in early 2006. In 1970, Sheffield's other main station, Sheffield Victoria, was closed and its remaining services, from Penistone, were diverted until 1981 via a cumbersome reversal. The Pullman service between Sheffield Victoria and London King's Cross, including the morning and evening Master Cutler now ran onto the East Coast Main Line via Retford from Sheffield Midland instead. This was the third route used by the train of that name; originally it had run to London Marylebone. The station was resignalled in 1972, and its track layout remodelled. British Rail introduced the High Speed Train (HST) to Sheffield on the Midland Main Line in 1984. The cross-country services had seen the introduction of the HSTs in 1982. On 21 December 1991, the station was flooded by the River Sheaf, which flows under it. A log that was part of the debris commemorates the event on platform 5. In 1991. construction of the new Supertram network began and by late 1994 Sheffield Midland was connected to the network, after the opening of the line between Fitzalan Square in the city centre and Spring Lane, to the east of the station.

### 2002 – present

In 2002, Midland Mainline, as the main train operating company of the station, instigated a major regeneration of Sheffield station. Before this, a taxi rank was located inside what is now the main concourse and the new entrance hall. The stone façade of the station was sandblasted and its archways filled with unobstructed windows to improve views both from inside and out. Other changes included the improvement of platform surfaces and the addition of a pedestrian bridge connecting the station concourse with the Sheffield Supertram stop at the far side of the station.
To coincide with the regeneration of the station, Sheaf Square was rebuilt as part of a project designed to create the Gateway to Sheffield. The station and the square form part of a route that leads passengers through the square past the 262.5 feet (80 m) Cutting Edge water feature, up Howard Street and into the Heart of the City. This Gateway to Sheffield won the Project of the Year Award in the 2006 National Rail Awards.
On 11 November 2007, East Midlands Trains, an amalgamation of Midland Mainline and part of Central Trains, took over the management of the station.
In December 2009, following the restoration of the station, a new pub, the Sheffield Tap, opened next to platform 1B. The room, located within the main station building, had been used as a store room for 35 years but was used for much longer as a bar and restaurant, catering for first class passengers since 1904. The bar has a restored early 20th century interior and offers a selection of quality cask ales and beers from around the world. Since opening, the bar has won the National Railway Heritage Award and the Cask Ale pub of the year award.
In October 2010, East Midland Trains initiated £10 million worth of improvements to its stations. Sheffield received renovated waiting rooms, toilet facilities and upgraded security systems amongst its improvements.
A new first class lounge on platform 5, part of these improvements, opened on 18 January 2011. The lounge was opened by the Master Cutler Professor Bill Speirs who was joined by 50 top business leaders from Sheffield and the surrounding area.
In 2008, East Midlands Trains revealed its intention to restrict access to parts of the station by installing ticket barriers to try to prevent passengers from travelling without a ticket. This proposal met with widespread opposition from residents and Council members because the footbridge would be closed off to non-ticket holders, severing a popular thoroughfare from the Norfolk Park residential area and the Supertram stop on one side, to the station travel centre, the bus interchange, the city centre and the city centre campus of Sheffield Hallam University on the other. On 6 May 2009, East Midlands Trains implemented its proposal, using temporary barriers and ticket inspectors to bar access to the footbridge to non-ticket holders, and local residents and Supertram passengers were forced to use longer routes around the station.
In November 2009, East Midlands Trains were refused planning permission for the barriers by the council, but in February 2010 announced it would apply again. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis announced in April 2010 that barriers would not be installed until a second bridge was built to maintain a thoroughfare for non-ticket holders.
From September 2010, East Midlands Trains used uniformed staff to prevent local residents using the footbridge. At the same time, Sheffield City Council explored the possibility of turning the bridge into a public right-of-way to resolve the matter. In late 2010, it was reported that the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, MP for Sheffield Hallam, might intervene to resolve the impasse.
In March 2012, Transport Minister Justine Greening offered £3 million to build a new footbridge to resolve the problem.
Tickets are not currently required to enter the station or to use the footbridge, which gives access to the Sheffield Station tram stop to the east.

### Future

Ian Yeowart, former managing director of Grand Central, put forward in 2009 a bid for new open access Alliance Rail Holdings services operating on the East Coast Main Line. As part of the scheme, four services a day would operate between Sheffield and London King's Cross via Alfreton, Nottingham and Grantham, meaning Sheffield would be connected to the capital by both the Midland Main Line and the East Coast Main Line routes once again. Yeowart has proposed the resurrection of the name GNER for the service, which has been unused since the last franchise of that name ended in 2007. However, in 2010 these proposed Sheffield to London Kings Cross services via the East Coast Main Line were rejected. In the 2010 Rail Utilisation Strategy, it quoted that the Midland Main Line north of Bedford will be electrified in 2020. The line is currently one of the few major main lines that is not electrified and the plan found that the project would provide significantly enhanced services and significant financial savings. In July 2017 Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, announced the electrification plan for the whole of the Midland Main Line would not go ahead as previously planned. Instead the section from Clay Cross in Derbyshire to Sheffield will be electrified by 2033 as part of the planned HS2. As an interim measure bi-mode trains, claimed to offer benefits similar to high speed electric trains were to be used. A National Audit Office report said: "In the case of Midland Main Line, bi-mode trains with the required speed and acceleration did not exist when the Secretary of State made his decision." The MP for Loughborough (another area to have been served by the proposed electrification scheme) and Chair of the Treasury Select Committee, Nicky Morgan said of the revised plans, "Now we see the decision to cancel it was based on fantasy trains that didn't even exist and the Midlands being a guinea pig for an untested technology".
CrossCountry, aspiring to improve their overall network and services, aims to increase services between Sheffield and Leeds. East Midlands Railway also plans to make service improvements to its services between Liverpool and Norwich via Sheffield with two-car Class 158 trains doubling in capacity to four cars. Coupled with newly acquired Class 156 trains, this will lead to an extra 1,500 seats being available each day on this service. Northern, responsible for operating most local services in the Sheffield area, announced in August 2011 that extra services between Sheffield and Manchester Piccadilly would begin in December that year. The Hope Valley Line, which will see an extra service in each direction during the peak evening period, is a key commuter route and currently has a two-hour gap in its evening schedule, which will be filled by the new services.
As part of the HS2 plans, a new platform would need to be constructed which would provide additional capacity for HS2, which approved the new route via Sheffield in July 2017. Two trains per hour are to serve Sheffield on the new high speed line. The work for HS2 will see the footprint of the station expand and major reconfiguration of the tram and roads surrounding the station to accommodate the extra services.

## Facilities

The main station entrance, facing Sheaf Square, is the location of the main concourse and most of the station's facilities. The ticket office, ticket machines, information desk and a number of retail units are located there, and public toilets and facilities such as cash machines. There are further shops and facilities on the island platforms and in the Supertram entrance hall at the far side of the station. There are waiting rooms on the island platforms and the East Midlands Railway first class lounge is within the station buildings, on platform 5.
There is a 678-space car park situated next to the main station building (Q Park) and there is a reserved parking area for blue badge holders in the main station building. There is also a taxi rank (Sheffield Taxi Group) outside the station building, next to the disabled car park. Bicycle storage is provided on platforms 1a and 3a. The whole station, including platforms, concourse and Supertram stop, is accessible to disabled passengers.

## Layout

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The station is divided into four parts: the main building/concourse and platforms 1a/1b; the first island with platforms 2a-5b; the second island with platforms 6a-8b; and the adjoining Supertram stop. All sections are connected by a large footbridge.
Sheffield station is designed to accommodate both through and terminating trains.
The National Rail station has 9 platforms, numbered 1 to 8 and 2C. 2C, 3, 4 and 7 can be used by terminating trains only. 1, 3 and 4 are divided into 'A' and 'B' sections to allow a brief stabling of terminating services before they are scheduled to depart. The station has four through roads which are used for through running or more commonly for stabling stock. Between platforms 5 and 6 these are known as "1-Up" and "2-Up" (they are on the "Up" or London-bound side of the station) whilst between platforms 1 and 2 are the "through road" with a direct path through the station or by a central crossover to the north end of platform 1 (1b), and "down station siding".
Prior to the 1972, multiple-aspect signalling (MAS) scheme, the southern half of the current platform 8 was called platform 9. Trains from the north from platform 9 could avoid trains stood at platform 8 via an additional through road.
The Sheffield Station tram stop on the South Yorkshire Supertram network was built on top of a walled embankment high above platform 8 on the eastern side of the station. It was connected to platform 6 of the main station by a simple staircase.
It was rebuilt and refurbished in 2002. A new footbridge connected the tram stop with the railway station. Following the opening of the new stop and platforms, the old platforms were left in situ and are only used in times of engineering works where additional platform space is needed.

## National Rail services

East Midlands Railway
* 2 tph to London St Pancras via Chesterfield, Derby, and Leicester. Three named passenger trains (The Master Cutler, Sheffield Continental & South Yorkshireman) run on this service.
* 1 tph to Norwich via Nottingham.
* 1 tph to Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Piccadilly.
CrossCountry
* 1 tph to Edinburgh Waverley via Leeds and Newcastle. Some trains continue on to Glasgow Central, Dundee or Aberdeen.
* 2 tpd to York via Doncaster
* 4 tpd to Newcastle via Doncaster and York.
* 1 tph to Plymouth via Derby, Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads and Exeter St Davids, with some trains extending through to Penzance.
* 4 tpd to Reading via Derby, Birmingham New Street and Oxford.
TransPennine Express
* 1 tph to Liverpool Lime Street via Manchester Piccadilly.
* 1 tph to Cleethorpes via Doncaster.
Northern Trains
* 1 tph to Manchester Piccadilly via New Mills Central.
* 2 tph to Leeds via Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate (fast).
* 1 tph to Leeds via Barnsley, Wakefield Kirkgate and Castleford (stopping).
* 1 tph to Leeds via Moorthorpe and Wakefield Westgate.
* 1 tph to Nottingham via Chesterfield.
* 1 tph to Scarborough via Doncaster, Hull Paragon and Bridlington.
* 1 tph to Lincoln via Worksop and Retford.
* 1 tph to Huddersfield via Meadowhall, Barnsley and Penistone
* 2 tph to Doncaster via Meadowhall and Rotherham, with one train per hour continuing to Adwick.
* 3 tpd to York via Moorthorpe and Sherburn-in-Elmet.
HS2 Services
HS2 will see a spur south of Chesterfield branch off the Main Route, which will go via the M18, allowing trains to head into a stop at Chesterfield and also head to Sheffield via the Sheffield to Leeds Line.
| Preceding station | | National Rail | | Following station |
| Derby | | CrossCountryReading-Newcastle | | Doncaster |
| ChesterfieldPeak Hours only | | CrossCountryReading-Newcastle | | Doncaster |
| Chesterfield | | CrossCountryCross Country Route | | Wakefield Westgate |
| Chesterfield | | East Midlands RailwayLiverpool-Norwich | | Stockport |
| DronfieldLimited Service | | East Midlands RailwayLiverpool-Norwich | | Dore & TotleyLimited Service |
| Chesterfield | | East Midlands RailwayMidland Main Line | | Terminus |
| Stockport | | TransPennine ExpressSouth TransPennine | | Meadowhall |
| Dore & TotleyLimited Service | | TransPennine ExpressSouth TransPennine | | Meadowhall |
| Darnall | | Northern TrainsLeeds-Lincoln | | Meadowhall |
| Terminus | | Northern TrainsSheffield – Cleethorpes Very limited service | | Worksop |
| Terminus | | Northern TrainsHope Valley Line | | Dore & Totley |
| Terminus | | Northern TrainsDearne Valley Line | | Meadowhall |
| Terminus | | Northern TrainsHallam Line | | Meadowhall |
| Terminus | | Northern TrainsPenistone Line | | Meadowhall |
| Terminus | | Northern TrainsWakefield Line | | Meadowhall |
| Dronfield | | Northern TrainsNottingham-Leeds | | Meadowhall |
| | Future services | Future services | Future services | |
| Terminus | | Sheffield by Hull Trains East Coast Main Line | | Woodhouse |
| Lincoln | | Northern Connect Lincoln – Leeds | | Meadowhall |
| Terminus | | Northern Connect Sheffield – Hull | | Doncaster |
| Wakefield Westgate | | Northern Connect Bradford Interchange – Nottingham | | Chesterfield |
| East Midlands Hub | | TBA High Speed 2 via Sheffield to Leeds Line | | Leeds |
| Chesterfield | | TBA High Speed 2 via Sheffield to Leeds Line | | Leeds |
| Manchester Piccadilly | | TBA Northern Powerhouse Rail | | Terminus |
| Terminus | | TBA Northern Powerhouse Rail | | Doncaster |
| Terminus | | TBA Northern Powerhouse Rail | | Leeds |
| | Historical railways | Historical railways | Historical railways | |
| Heeley Line open, station closed | | Midland Railway Midland Main Line | | Attercliffe Road Line open, station closed |

## Sheffield Supertram stop

Sheffield Station tram stop has direct interchange with the railway station. It was built on top of a walled embankment that formerly carried Granville Street past the station, which was downgraded to a lineside public footpath when the embankment was repurposed to carry the Supertram line. The stop also serves the City Campus of Sheffield Hallam University and the Park Hill estate above the railway station.
The stop opened on 22 August 1994, and originally had three platforms – two on the northbound (inbound to the city centre) track, to allow for terminating Purple Route services prior to their extension to Cathedral in the city centre – and was connected to platform 6 of the main station by a simple staircase.
In line with the refurbishment of the rest of the station in the early 2000s, the tram stop was rebuilt in 2002 around 150 metres (500 ft) to the south of the existing platforms. As well as two new platforms, a ticket hall was constructed at the end of the main station footbridge over the top of platform 8, providing a direct connection from the tram stop to the station footbridge and the rest of the mainline station.
The Blue route has a peak frequency of 5 trams per hour (every 12 minutes), and the Purple route runs hourly Monday−Saturday and every 30 minutes (peak frequency) on Sundays.
| Preceding station | South Yorkshire Supertram | South Yorkshire Supertram | South Yorkshire Supertram | Following station |
| Fitzalan Squaretowards Malin Bridge | | Blue Route | | Granville Roadtowards Halfway |
| Fitzalan Squaretowards Cathedral | | Purple Route | | Granville Roadtowards Herdings Park |

## References and notes

* ↑ The National Rail platforms are numbered 1–8 and 2C. In addition to the two operational Supertram platforms, three disused platforms – from the previous site of the Sheffield station tram stop before it was relocated in 2002 – remain extant and are occasionally used during engineering works, but no scheduled services call at them.
* ↑ Batty (Batty, Stephen (1989). Rail Centres: Sheffield. Shepperton, Surrey: Ian Allan Ltd. p. 10. ISBN 0-7110-1366-7.) refers to the station as Pond Street. However, Fox (Fox, Peter (1990). The Midland Line in Sheffield. Sheffield: Platform 5. p. 8. ISBN 1-872524-16-8.) notes that, although the name Pond Street appears on some Midland Railway maps, the station has never been known locally by this name, and was never referred to as such in timetables.
* ↑ "Estimates of station usage". ORR Data Portal. Retrieved 23 November 2024.
* ↑ "The Sheffield and Chesterfield District Railway. The New stations". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. British Newspaper Archive. 13 April 1869. Retrieved 12 July 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* ↑ Historic England. "Sheffield Station and attached Bridges and Platform Bridges (1270904)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
* ↑ UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
* ↑ Montague, Keith (1978). The Power of the Peaks. Oxford: Oxford Publishing Co. ISBN 0-902888-99-4.
* ↑ Railway Magazine. August 1965. p. 483. {{cite magazine}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
* ↑ http://www.thetrams.co.uk/supertram/history.php History of the Sheffield Supertram. TheTrams.co.uk. Accessed 3 August 2011
* ↑ "Brighter station entrance planned". BBC News. 24 February 2004. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
* ↑ "£11m facelift for city station". BBC News. 21 November 2002. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
* ↑ http://www.environment-investment.com/conference2006/downloads/session_5/Simon_Ogden.pdf%7C%5B‍%5D Sheffield City Council – Sheffield's 'Gold Route'. Retrieved 3 January 2011
* ↑ "Sheffield City Council – Sheaf Square". Archived from the original on 3 January 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
* 1 2 http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Sheffield39s-newest-bar-has-arrived.5894972.jp%7C%5B‍%5D The Sheffield Star. 'Sheffield's newest bar has arrived at platform 1B' 9 December 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2011
* ↑ Yorkshire Post, 'All change as railway buffet thoroughly refreshed', 2009-12-03, Accessed 6 February 2011
* ↑ http://www.sheffieldtap.com/latest-news%7C Archived 10 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Sheffield Tap. Latest News. 15 December 2010. Retrieved 3 January 2011
* ↑ "Rail station gets first class refit". Sheffield Telegraph. Johnston Publishing Ltd. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 14 November 2010.
* ↑ http://www.eastmidlandstrains.co.uk/AboutUs/News/Pages/_NewFirstClassLoungeopensat.aspx%7C East Midland Trains: New First Class Lounge opens at Sheffield station 18 January 2011
* ↑ http://www.cutlers-hallamshire.org.uk/html/the-company-today/news-and-press-releases-updated-2812011/%7C Archived 20 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire – The Company Today – News and Press releases, updated 28 January 2011
* ↑ "Hundreds turned away as station bridge shut". Sheffield Telegraph. 6 May 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
* ↑ "Rail ticket barrier plan rejected". BBC News. 23 November 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
* ↑ "Critics signal new fight over station barriers". Sheffield Telegraph. 18 February 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
* ↑ "Sheffield station ticket barrier plans put on hold". BBC News. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
* ↑ "Yorkshire Post 'Rail barrier protesters' anger over bridge move.'". 19 September 2010. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
* ↑ http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/general/2010/09/14-deputy-pm-may-intervene-in.html%7C%5B‍%5D Rail News 14 September 2011 – 'Deputy PM may intervene in Sheffield barriers row'
* ↑ "Station bridge breakthrough". Sheffield Telegraph. 1 March 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
* ↑ "Sheffield (SHF)". National Rail. National Rail. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
* ↑ "Modern Railways – Yeowart back with fresh open access proposal". Modern Railways. 24 September 2009. Archived from the original on 29 September 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
* 1 2 "Network Rail – Strategic Business Plan" (PDF). Network Rail. March 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
* ↑ "Rail electrification plans scrapped". BBC News. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
* ↑ "Impact on Nottingham – cancelled electrification of the Midland Mainline". Transport Nottingham. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
* ↑ Topham, Gwyn (20 July 2017). "Grayling sparks fury by scrapping rail electrification plans". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
* ↑ Martin, Dan (29 March 2018). "Electrification scrapped on the promise of 'fantasy trains'". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
* ↑ Martin, Dan (21 July 2017). "Fury at Government as electrification of Midland Mainland scrapped". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
* ↑ "Midland Main Line Electrification: Cancelled". www.emcouncils.gov.uk. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
* ↑ name="eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk">East Midlands Railway Liverpool – Norwich Route'
* ↑ East Midlands Trains Confirms Improvements for Liverpool – Norwich Route Archived 14 November 2010 at the Wayback MachineEMT Press Release
* ↑ http://www.rail.co/2011/08/01/more-rail-services-on-the-hope-valley-line/ Northern Rail announce new Hope Valley Line services, Rail.co. 1 August 2011
* ↑ "HS2 station work may cause Sheffield five years disruption". BBC News. 15 September 2017.
* 1 2 http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/shf/details.html National Rail Enquiries page for Sheffield station. Accessed 5 August 2011
* ↑ "Sheffield Train Station". Google maps. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
* ↑ "Sheffield Station Plan". National Rail Enquiries. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
* ↑ "East Midlands: Wingfield Tunnel to Meadowhall". OpenTrainTimes. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
* ↑ Table 49 & 53 National Rail timetable, December 2018
* ↑ "CrossCountry December 2023-June 2024 Timetable" (PDF).
* ↑ Table 29 National Rail timetable, December 2018
* ↑ Table 31,32,33,34,78 National Rail timetable, December 2018
* ↑ "HS2: Sheffield and South Yorkshire Report 2016"HS2 Ltd
* ↑ "HS2 South Yorkshire route change threatens new estate"BBC News – Sheffield & South Yorkshire article, 7 July 2016