The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced plans to invest in a brand-new railway station in Bradford.
The £400,000 provided in local authority funding to kickstart master planning on the project is part of the governments’ Network North scheme. The £36bn long-term plan seeks to improve the country’s transport across roads, buses and railways.
The DfT announcement comes on top of the £2bn Network North commitment to improve connectivity between Bradford, Manchester and Huddersfield.
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The proposed shortened 30-minute journey time will be supported with more frequent trains, increased capacity and faster journeys, the government has said.
Huw Merriman, rail minister, said: “Bradford is soon to become the UK’s ‘City of Culture’ and our scheme to deliver a brand-new station and railway line will help attract tourism, unlock access to neighbouring cities and provide the area with the huge regeneration opportunities it deserves to boost connectivity and economic growth.”
Planning will consider how the new station can best support regeneration in the surrounding area and maximise its potential to create new homes, jobs and local economic growth – as well as significantly improving transport links and cutting journey times.
Once complete, the findings will form part of a wider business case for the project which will include details on the proposed location and delivery date for the station.
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said: “It is good to see this moving forward, everyone has worked so hard for so long to get this progressed. Improving connectivity for Bradford to the rest of the North is so important to enable greater investment, jobs and opportunities. There can be no successful North without Bradford being successful.”
Today’s announcement comes on top of a further £2.5bn Network North pledge to support the West Yorkshire mass transit system which will improve connections between Leeds and Bradford, Huddersfield and Halifax.
This will mean Leeds is no longer the biggest European city without a mass-transit system, with up to seven lines potentially created as part of a transformed network.
In addition to this, the government continues to push forward plans to electrify the Calder Valley Line between Bradford and Leeds – backed by £500m – to cut journey times by around 40% from 20 minutes to as low as 12 minutes.
Achievements in rail and other public transportation will be celebrated at the second annual CiTTi Awards on 21 November 2023 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector – and to book your table today!