The Rotherham Council Transportation Advisory Group met to discuss updates from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), bus and railway operators, and the RMBC Transportation Unit. Ticket pricing, bus routes, and the new Rotherham Gateway Station were key concerns raised by councillors and parish representatives. The group also approved the minutes from the previous meeting held on 19th March 2025.

Rotherham Community Transport Capacity

Councillor John Blackham raised concerns about the capacity of Rotherham Community Transport, particularly for disabled adults, and requested information on waiting lists and average waiting times. He expressed concern about whether the service was time-restrictive around 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Nathan Broadhead, Bus Partnership and Development Manager from SYMCA, responded that Rotherham Community Transport was funded via SYMCA and, to his knowledge, there were no capacity issues. He stated that once registered, a user could book transport via Door to Door almost immediately, regardless of disability. He suggested the issue may lie with transport provided directly by Rotherham Council. Liaison would take place with relevant persons to collate a response and information would be fed back in due course.

South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) Transport Update

Nathan Broadhead provided an update on transport changes within the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, noting that some changes were more relevant to West Yorkshire and Derbyshire. He mentioned ongoing discussions with First and Stagecoach, as well as £2.5 million in funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) Bus Grant.

Councillor Michael Bennett-Sylvester inquired about transportation to the Royal Horticultural Event at Wentworth Woodhouse, and whether there had been discussions with Fitzwilliam Estates about cycling/walking routes. Nathan Broadhead confirmed a park and ride service would operate from Meadowhall, adjacent to Marks and Spencer, to provide access to the local rail network. He added that a wider discussion with Fitzwilliam Estates had not occurred but would be taken back to the Communication Team for further discussion with Rotherham Officers to explore how to integrate active travel options.

Councillor Simon Currie supported the promotion of active travel, particularly given the issues on Thorpe Street/Wentworth Road and access to green spaces.

Bus Operator Updates

First Buses

Steve Radford from First Buses reported on service changes implemented in July to improve service speeds, which were scheduled to revert to normal on 1 September 2025. He presented data on Rotherham punctuality, which showed that 93.7% of journeys started on time overall, but this figure dropped to 91% when excluding Fridays. Punctuality at timing points was between 86% and 87%, but fell to 75% when excluding Fridays.

Parish Councillor R. Croxton raised concerns about the route of the 73 bus via Treeton, noting that it took a longer route late at night when traffic was limited. Steve Radford said he would investigate this issue.

Stagecoach

John Young from Stagecoach reported that their electric fleet was performing well, representing a quarter of their total fleet, including services from Chesterfield to Sheffield. He stated that service delivery from Rawmarsh Depot for Period 2 was strong, with 90.8% punctuality and 99.8% reliability of journeys operated. He also noted that there would be a few minor service changes in September, with minimal impact.

The opening of the Parkgate link road was mentioned as having significantly improved vehicle movements.

Summer Timetable Reduction on Service 95

Parish Councillor R. Croxton raised concerns about the reduction of the 95 bus service between Sheffield and Rotherham via Treeton from two to one bus per hour during the school holidays. He said that this was not well publicised and affected the busy part of the route between Treeton and Rotherham.

SYMCA responded that they were disappointed with the reduction, but that it was a commercial decision by First, which SYMCA was unable to restrict. SYMCA stated that while summer reductions are generally appropriate due to decreased demand and congestion, the reduction to hourly service was not expected. SYMCA will review the service with First for the summer of 2026 to determine if maintaining the half-hourly service is more appropriate.

Bus Stops on the Waverley Estate

Parish Councillor R. Croxton reported an incident on the Waverley Estate where a bus driver refused to pick up a passenger who was not at a designated stop. He noted the lack of bus stop signs on much of the estate and the long distance between stops on Highfield Lane and Stephenson Way (826.54m). He also raised concerns about Lescar Road being unsuitable for buses due to its narrowness and parked cars.

SYMCA responded that they continue to request permanent bus stops within the Waverley Estate from both Harworth (the developer) and RMBC. Bus stop locations have been agreed, but the allocated funding for these stops has not been released to allow SYMCA to proceed with the stop installations, and the bus borders have not been installed by the developer. SYMCA will raise this issue again with RMBC and Harworth.

Railway Operators Update

Richard Isaac, Northern Rail, provided a performance update, stating that cancellations were at 2.5%, with 79.05% of trains arriving within 3 minutes of their scheduled time, and 97.57% within 15 minutes. He noted that performance targets were 90% and 2% respectively. Passenger growth had improved, with Northern being in the top five for passenger increases, with an 8% increase from April to March and an increase of 23.4 million passengers from January to March, the largest number outside of London.

He also highlighted the move towards the new Rotherham Station and promotion of the East Coast Mainline. He mentioned an art project involving Rotherham students on display at Bridlington Spa, and engagement with local MPs in Westminster.

Parish Councillor R. Croxton reiterated his concerns about ticket prices, overcrowding, and service routes, asking if any effort had been made to alleviate these issues. Richard Isaacs reiterated that the advanced purchase offer was intended to manage overcrowding on the Leeds to Nottingham service.

Councillor Mick Bower referred to the government's decision not to pursue the electrification of the Midland Mainline and its potential impact on the plans for Rotherham's new Gateway Station. Nathan Broadhead from SYMCA, confirmed he would pick up this matter direct with relevant personnel and would provide a response in writing. It was reiterated that the recent announcements were unlikely to affect the business case for the Rotherham Gateway Station.

Councillor Bower expressed concern that the service to Rotherham was falling behind without electrification and that it could affect the business case, noting that it was often easier to travel to Doncaster and Sheffield Stations and bypass Rotherham. The Chair responded that the business case did not rely on one line and had links with other networks, so there was no direct impact.

Councillor John Blackham also noted that it was often easier to travel to Retford for the East Coast Mainline and hoped the Rotherham project was viable, as more options would be available with electrification.

RMBC Transportation Unit Updates

Nat Porter, Interim Head of Transportation Infrastructure, provided an update on the Transport Infrastructure Service, including:

• Approval of the 25/26 Minor Works Programme.
• Completion of Local Neighbourhood Road Scheme (LNRS1) projects in Hoober and Rotherham West.
• Approval of the Rotherham Gateway Station Outline Business Case (OBC) by SYMCA for submission to DfT.
• Substantial completion of Active Travel masterplans for Wath, Dinnington, and Rotherham.
• Ongoing LNRS1 developments in Wales, Anston & Woodsetts, Rawmarsh E, Malty E, Bramley, and Boston Castle.
• Development of consultation materials for Fitzwilliam Road and Broom Road for the CRSTS major schemes¹.
• Preliminary design substantially complete for crossings at Wath Road, Brampton, and Broad St, Parkgate.
• Feasibility complete for seven LNRS2 schemes.
• Approval of the Minor Works 25/26 programme with 26 projects valued at £200,000.
• Confirmation of funding to SYMCA for 2027-2032 (£1.455 billion).

The overarching objectives were noted as:

"continuing to drive growth and productivity through investment in integrated transport networks.

transforming infrastructure to support the delivery of new homes and improve access to opportunity for all.

decarbonising transport and enabling healthy living, including promoting modal shift from cars to public transport, walking and cycling."

The Chair congratulated the service and officers for the number of projects currently being managed.