Place Swinton Station code SWN DfT category E Number of platforms 3 | Grid reference SK461990 Managed by Northern 2011/12 0.389 million | |
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Address Swinton, Mexborough S64 8AS, United Kingdom Pte South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive Similar Mexborough railway station, Conisbrough railway station, Darnall railway station, Chapeltown railway station, Clifton Park & Museum | ||
Swinton railway station is a railway station in Swinton, South Yorkshire, England. It has three platforms and a small bus station, and lies at the junction of the former North Midland Railway main line between Rotherham Masborough and Leeds via Cudworth and the former South Yorkshire Railway line to Doncaster.
Contents
History
There have been three stations on the North Midland Railway line at Swinton, the first of which, opened in 1840, built by the N.M.R. occupied the site of the present station, goods facilities occupying what is now the car park. This was replaced by a second station north of the present site, on the opposite side of the road bridge, built by the Midland Railway. This station became known as Swinton Town to distinguish it from Swinton Central on the former Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway line. It was served by stopping trains from Sheffield Midland to York and to Leeds City via Cudworth. The station closed in January 1968 with the rationalisation of local rail services in South Yorkshire. The original station buildings still remain at street level and are used for light industry.
Redevelopment and rebuilding
By the late 1980s it was realised that South Yorkshire railways had been cut back too far in the 1960s; in particular, Swinton/Wath-upon-Dearne/Kilnhurst lacked a station. The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority put forward a four-year plan for the improvement of services and stations as part of their Rail Development Plan, this leading to the re-instatement of the "Swinton Curve", from the former North Midland Railway at Swinton to the former South Yorkshire Railway at Mexborough West Junction, the building of a new station at Swinton and the re-routing of all passenger trains via this route. Immediately after reopening by British Rail in 1990 it was unstaffed, but increased passenger usage led to the establishment in the 1990s of initially a small cabin staffed for the morning peak period only. The cabin later was replaced by a brick building for the ticket office, waiting room and toilet. It is also an interchange for local bus services to Wath and Manvers.
The ticket office is now manned on Mondays to Saturday between 07:00 and 13:30. Outside these hours, passengers must buy tickets on the train or in advance of their journey. Shelters and passenger information screens are located on each platform, with a fully accessible footbridge linking the ticket hall with platforms 2 and 3.
Services
The station has a similar service level to neighbouring Rotherham Central, namely two trains per hour to Doncaster (with one service carrying on to Scunthorpe and the other to Adwick), one per hour to Wakefield and Leeds and three per hour to Rotherham and Sheffield in the other (with one carrying on through to Gainsborough and Lincoln). The twice-daily Dearne Valley local service to York also calls. There are also many longer distance trains that pass through without stopping.
Sundays have an hourly service to Doncaster, a two-hourly service to Leeds and also Goole (as an extension of alternate Doncaster trains) and either one or two trains per hour to Sheffield.
TransPennine Express operates a very limited service from the station. There is one train per day westbound from Cleethorpes to Sheffield in the evenings (including Sundays). On Sunday mornings there is also an eastbound service from Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes; there is no corresponding eastbound service on weekdays.