£48m awarded to improve Penistone railway line

The Government has announced £48 million in funding to upgrade the Penistone line from Huddersfield to Sheffield.

Fifty-five projects across the UK have been awarded a share of nearly £1 billion from the Government’s levelling up fund.

£825 million will go towards regenerating high streets and £150 million towards improving transport links, the Department for Levelling Up said.

The biggest slice of the money – £48 million – has been allocated to upgrading the Penistone line.

The line will receive new track layouts and signalling to improve journey times, as well as station upgrades and improved integration with bus and cycle paths.

Miriam Cates, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, said: “I’m delighted that we’ve succeeded in securing the funding to start upgrading Penistone Line. This is fantastic news for people across Penistone, Silkstone and Dodworth who will benefit from a significant improvement in the local rail service. 

“The Government has rightly recognised the importance of this line and is investing in levelling up transport connectivity here in South Yorkshire. This is something I’ve been campaigning for since I was elected and I know it will be welcomed across our community.”