The first permitted section of line was from Stairfoot (west of Ardsley in Darfield) to Applehaigh (in Notton), 4 miles (6.4 km) long.

c. 19) was obtained allowing a short 1+1⁄4-mile (2 km) extension to the Midland Railway's line near Barnsley;[2][7][8][9] the new chord would have enabled the South Yorkshire company to take advantage of their recently acquired running powers to Wakefield and Leeds over the Midland's lines.

[clarification needed][11] The first section line served Rosa Colliery, and opened to traffic in January 1870.

[citation needed] In the session of 1873–74 the SYR's successor the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) obtained powers in the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway Act 1874 (37 & 38 Vict.

This section ran from Applehaigh to a triangular junction with the West Riding and Grimsby Railway (WR&GR) at Nostell.