SOUTH YORKSHIRE SETS OUT £1.45BN TRANSPORT INVESTMENT PLAN

Published 29 October 2026 at 12:07pm

South Yorkshire is set to deliver the biggest coordinated investment in its transport network for a generation as the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) prepares to submit its £1.45 billion Transport for City Regions (TCR) programme to Government. 

Developed in partnership with the region's four local authorities, the programme will support the move to bus franchising, continue the renewal of Supertram fleet and infrastructure, fund major rail projects including Rotherham Gateway and Waverley stations, improve transport links supporting the reopening of Doncaster Sheffield Airport, and deliver more than £141 million of investment in local neighbourhoods across South Yorkshire. 

The programme forms a key part of the Mayor's ambition to create a fully integrated South Yorkshire People's Network, connecting communities with jobs, education, healthcare and opportunities right across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield. 

South Yorkshire's Mayor Oliver Coppard said:  

"I’ve been clear we need a world-class public transport system, to offer people real freedom and choice about how they travel and move right across South Yorkshire and build the transport network our communities deserve.  

"Funding through the Transport for City Regions programme would help make that vision a reality, supporting investment in better buses, a renewed Supertram network, stronger rail connections, improved links to Doncaster Sheffield Airport and better neighbourhoods across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.  

"This investment will help connect people to jobs, education, healthcare and opportunities, support economic growth and bring us another step closer to delivering our South Yorkshire People's Network." 

South Yorkshire's Active Lives Commissioner Ed Clancy OBE, said: 

“By creating better neighbourhoods and safer, high-quality routes, we can give people more freedom and choice in how they travel, while building healthier communities and making South Yorkshire a better place to live, work and play.  

"To create a healthier more prosperous region, people must feel safe walking, wheeling or cycling to school, work, the shops or public transport as part of a fully integrated People’s Network.” 

The programme will support improvements to public transport, renew and maintain existing infrastructure, unlock housing and economic growth, improve road safety and create better neighbourhoods across the region. 

The programme includes major investment in: 

• Bus franchising, supporting the move to a publicly controlled bus network 
• Supertram renewal, helping secure the network's long-term future 
• Highway maintenance and network resilience 
• Local transport improvements across all four boroughs 

The programme also includes significant investment to improve transport links supporting the wider Gateway East opportunity, including improved connectivity to Doncaster Sheffield Airport. A new public transport enhancement programme will deliver bus priority measures on key routes, while a regional bus shelter improvement programme will help create a more consistent and accessible experience for passengers. 

Funding will support the continued renewal of South Yorkshire's Supertram network through investment in track, fleet, facilities and passenger information systems. Further funding will help develop plans for future tram extensions.  

More than £125 million has been identified to support the development and delivery of rail priorities including projects like Rotherham Gateway Station, Waverley Station and Sheffield Station enhancement. 

The programme will also fund accessibility and connectivity improvements at stations including Chapeltown, Hatfield and Stainforth, Thorne North and Conisbrough, alongside a wider package of upgrades across the rail network. 

The £141.1 million Better Neighbourhoods programme will fund improvements to local streets, crossings, public spaces and walking, wheeling and cycling links across the region. 

Projects will include investment in improving public transport journeys and road safety across the region, with some examples below: 

Barnsley 

• Dearne Valley Parkway bus and pedestrian improvements 
• Goldthorpe Highgate Crossroads improvements 
• Trans Pennine Trail upgrades 
• New walking, wheeling and cycling connections 

Doncaster 

• Improvements linked to community masterplans in Hexthorpe, Bentley, Intake, Lower Wheatley, Stainforth and Armthorpe 
• City centre crossing upgrades 
• Walking, wheeling and cycling improvements 

Rotherham 

• Effingham Street Gateway improvements 
• Eastwood and Parkgate bridge enhancements 
• Public realm and placemaking projects 

Sheffield 

• Darnall neighbourhood improvements 
• Five Weirs Walk restoration 
• Moorfoot Mobility Hub 
• New walking, wheeling and cycling connections across the city 

The proposed programme was approved by the Mayoral Combined Authority Board this month and will be submitted to Government as part of South Yorkshire's wider Transport Delivery Programme. Subject to approval, delivery will begin from April 2027 and continue through to 2032.