Rotherham Central station is set to reopen today, Wednesday 23rd February, after being flooded by water as a result of Storm Franklin last weekend.

Franklin was the third storm to hit the railway in a week, and the cumulative effect eventually caused watercourses to overflow and left Rotherham Central with water almost up to platform level.

On Saturday, 19th February, a pre-emptive decision was made to close the station. That was based on river level readings provided by the Environmental Agency at the time.

By acting before the station was affected by flooding, Network Rail engineers were able to remove critical equipment from susceptible areas, which has proved crucial to reducing the effect of flood damage.

Teams from Network Rail have been working through the night to fix and test the tracks so that normal train services can run again.

They are expected to resume from 10 am this morning when trains will once more be able to call at Rotherham Central station.

Engineers have also spent three days pumping water away from the railway between Aldwarke and Tinsley. As the water levels fell, further damage became evident which has required additional repairs.

Tram Train services that were suspended between Tinsley and Parkgate will also be back in service. In case there are any residual problems, passengers are advised to continue to check before travelling via National Rail Enquiries or their train operator.

Matt Rice, North & East Route Director for Network Rail, said: “Storms Franklin, Dudley, and Eunice have brought relentless challenges for the railway over the last week, including significant flooding in Rotherham.

“Our teams have worked 24/7 to pump water away from the tracks and work towards getting the railway back up and running for passengers in South Yorkshire. I’d like to thank people for bearing with us as we deliver a safe and reliable railway.”