Rotherham Central Station has services to Doncaster, Wakefield, Leeds, Meadowhall, Sheffield and York.
There is also a limited Transpennine Express service to Manchester and Liverpool.
The town’s restricted rail links came about because of the closure of its second station, Rotherham Masborough, in 1988.
This station was on a line to London via Birmingham, and London to Leeds expresses still called there until the 1980s.
It became the town’s only station in the 1960s, but it later became inconvenient when changes to the signalling meant the long-distance services could not overtake local trains as easily.
In the 1980s a link was built between the main and local lines that allowed trains to Sheffield and Doncaster to use reopened Rotherham Central.
However, the line through the old Masborough site survives and is still used by fast trains to Leeds and York, which currently bypass Rotherham Central.
Rotherham Council leader Chris Read said journey times to Leeds could be cut to half an hour, and Manchester and Birmingham to an hour.
He added: “The station creates new business opportunities to relocate here too.
“It’s definitely not a done deal, and I’d urge everyone to sign up to our station campaign to help us maintain momentum for the project. But this week marks a big and important step forward.”