Lessons to be learned over stalled station - mayor

Construction was halted on the White Rose Station project in 2024 after workers walked out

"Lessons need to be learned" over the stalled construction of a new railway station in West Yorkshire, the county's mayor has said.

Contractors walked off the White Rose Station site, between Cottingley and Morley, in March 2024 after costs rose above the £26m budget.

Mayor Tracy Brabin said there was no update on when work would resume on the project, jointly funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), which provided £22m, and Munroe K, owner of the nearby White Rose Office Park, which contributed £4m.

Ms Brabin said: "It was an ambitious project and we wouldn't necessarily do it in the same way again, so we we've learned a lot. We're really working very hard to push to a resolution."

About 70% of the work on the station has been completed, including two waiting shelters and the installation of a lift shaft.

However, the building site around the stop on the line between Leeds and Huddersfield has become overgrown since worked ceased.

In May, WYCA signed off extra cash for the scheme, but the authority did not give details of the new budget.

'In the dark'

One local business owner who said he would benefit from having a station close to his premises described the situation as "frustrating and farcical".

Iain Clasper, who employs 60 staff at printing company FaberExposize, said: "We were really excited about it, we were talking to people, we were interviewing for jobs and saying you don't have to worry about relying on the buses - there will be a new train station.

"We've now lost staff who used to commute in from Huddersfield because they got fed up of the M62.

"A station immediately behind the industrial estate would make it easier for existing staff and help us attract new staff, which is really difficult at the moment."

Councillor Alan Lamb, leader of the Conservative group on Leeds City Council and a WYCA board member, said stakeholders remained "in the dark" about the lack of progress on the station.

He also voiced concerns about WYCA's ability to deliver big infrastructure projects on time and on budget.

"They're taking on bus franchising and mass transit and so far they can't even deliver one railway station. The complete silence is frustrating and disappointing."

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said "we've learned a lot" from the White Rose Station project

When the White Rose Station project was given the go-ahead in summer 2021, it was supposed to set an example of how infrastructure could be built quicker.

It was one of Network Rail's "Project SPEED" schemes - which stands for "swift, pragmatic, efficient, enhancement and delivery".

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: "We continue to liaise with West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Munroe K.

"When work restarts we will be happy to offer further support and expertise."

Landowner Munroe K, which owns and operates the business park, has been approached for comment.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.