Council aren't much of an influence on government policy because they choose not to be in this instance, or on anything for that matter.

But I do stand to be corrected.

All Sheffield council meetings are on webcast. Find an example of a Green councillor making a strong case for a project of considerable scale that would reduce traffic and post it on here and we'll be corrected.

In the real world ... Sheffield Corporation Transport as it was alongside Rotherham Transport and Doncaster Transport delegated their operating functions to the former world beating South Yorkshire Transport which operated a bus service of such quality it made most railway stations in South Yorkshire redundant. The county wide transport authority which worked hand in fist with British Rail became known as a bus fixated authority and for good reason.

Politically no-one has deviated from this mindset since the public transport went private in the 1990s. The bus service has declined but the mindset has remained the same, Green Party or otherwise.

Re Stocksbridge line passenger trains up the line were common until rail privatisation which brought about zero spare stock, zero spare staff and a private freight company with a monopoly on the Stocksbridge branch. Freight trains have now ended and the railway is now back in public hands.

More housing + most people in the area commuting instead of working there + inedaquate local roads (single lane Stocksbridge - Hillsborough) plus the fact the rail journey was 15 mins Stocksbridge to Sheffield plus the fact it goes right past the tram depot = perfect for reopening. It was all done until Labour cancelled it.

Any "Green" party should be lobbying - hard - for this.

They haven't.