Major new train station ‘will transform travel across the North’

A new railway station planned for the Bradford Interchange is set to "transform how people travel across the North", according to the government.

Announcing the project on Tuesday, the Department for Transport (DfT) explained that the hub will enhance links between the West Yorkshire city and neighbouring destinations including York, Leeds and Manchester.

Scheduled for completion during the 2030s, the development will supersede the existing 1970s structure and form part of Great British Railways (GBR).

The department stated that Bradford is destined to stand "at the heart of the NPR (Northern Powerhouse Rail) network", with the facility "creating opportunities for investment, regeneration and economic growth".

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Today marks an important milestone for Bradford with a brand-new station that will transform how people travel across the North.

“By bringing Northern Powerhouse Rail into the heart of the city, we are unlocking the huge potential Bradford offers – improving connections, supporting economic growth and setting the foundations for new homes, jobs and opportunities across the region.”

Delivering the new station, along with the proposed West Yorkshire Mass Transit Network, will unlock thousands of jobs and homes as well as more than £1 billion in economic benefits, according to Bradford Council.

As a result of the new station, passengers will benefit from more frequent trains, improved journey times and reliability, the DfT said.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “Bradford has so much untapped potential, and faster, more frequent trains to Leeds and Manchester, and the transformation of the city centre through Bradford City Village, will help to finally unleash it.

“Together with investment for NPR, a mass transit system for West Yorkshire and our brand-new Weaver Network, we are working in lockstep with the government to deliver a better-connected region.”

Bradford Council leader Stephen Place said the announcement was a major milestone for Bradford and the North, and a new station with faster connections to Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester would be a catalyst for investment and regeneration.

“We have always been clear that a city centre station delivers the greatest regeneration benefits. Better connections across the North will connect more people to jobs, skills and opportunities, while helping businesses to grow,” he said.

“Bradford’s young, talented and diverse workforce is one of the North’s greatest assets, and this investment will help unlock its full potential.”

NPR was first proposed in 2014 and was originally envisioned as a new line between Liverpool and Hull.

The government announced in January that the scheme would be delivered in three stages, with a funding cap of £45 billion, which could be topped up by local contributions.

The first phase of the programme involves improved connections on existing lines on these routes: between Sheffield and Leeds; between Leeds and York; and between Leeds and Bradford.

GBR, a new public sector body, will bring responsibility for tracks and trains under a single organisation for the first time since privatisation in the mid-1990s.