Bradford railway station: Axed plans for new travel hub reconsidered

The council said better rail connections were central to growing Bradford's economy

Plans for a new railway station in Bradford will be reconsidered after the government previously scrapped them.

Former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps cancelled the plan for Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR), a brand new line serving the city, in November 2021.

The government has said an updated business case for the project was expected later this year.

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin welcomed the news but criticised the "dither and delay".

When the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) was unveiled in 2021, it included cutting much of HS2's eastern leg and scaling back NPR, including plans for a new station and line in Bradford.

The announcement that the government would now reconsider plans was made in the Department for Transport's (DfT) response to the Transport Select Committee's report on the IRP.

The committee had argued that the department had not properly tested alternative options to its proposals and had left out analysis of wider economic "levelling up" impacts of different options for NPR.

'Delighted'

In its response, DfT said: "A re-assessment of the evidence for better connecting Bradford and the case for [building] a new station will now form part of the NPR development programme and the HS2 to Leeds study."

However, it said any options taken forward would have to be "deliverable and affordable" within the money already committed in the IRP.

Ms Brabin said the government had made a mistake excluding the plans in 2021 and that the news was a "welcome u-turn".

"What we want is to see spades in the ground and West Yorkshire getting a fair deal when it comes to transport investment and services that people can rely on," she added.

Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said she was "delighted" with the government's announcement.

"Our ambitions to deliver affordable rail options on a mainline railway for residents, businesses and visitors are crucial to realising the growth opportunities which the district offers."

She added: "The work with government starts now.

"There's already a meeting in the diary for next week with government ministers and the district's MPs and myself to discuss next steps."