Rail passengers set to benefit from improved rail
journeys in Bradford thanks to multi-million-pound Government
investment
£24 million boost will deliver a new platform at Forster
Square Station, boosting network capacity and
connectivity
Comes as Rail Minister meets with local leaders to
discuss new station for the city as part of Government’s £2
billion Network North commitment
Passengers in Bradford are set to benefit from improved rail
journeys thanks to a multi-million-pound Government funding
boost.
In Bradford today, Rail Minister revealed the latest investment in the city as he
confirmed £24 million towards a new platform at Forster Square
Station to reduce delays and futureproof the station for
generations to come.
The new platform will ease congestion and improve access into the
city for passengers, commuters and tourists.
Once complete – and subject to future funding decisions - this
could result in an extra five LNER services a day, more than
tripling the current provision.
Rail Minister said: “Bradford is
benefitting from serious investment in rail infrastructure, with
£24m towards a new platform for Forster Square Station helping to
improve rail journeys, increase rail services and better connect
passengers.
“This investment follows £2bn for Bradford to better connect the
city including with a new station and to facilitate faster rail
journeys to Manchester via Huddersfield as part of our Network
North plan, with further funding recently announced to help with
the planning work for that station – demonstrating this
Government’s plan to invest in rail infrastructure in the
region.”
This announcement comes as Bradford prepares to become the UK’s
City of Culture in 2025, with the Rail Minister attending a
meeting with local leaders and businesses today to discuss plans
to deliver a new Government-funded station in the city.
The Government’s £36 billion Network North plan to improve local
transport connections included £2 billion to provide a new
station at Bradford and a new connection to improve journey times
from the city to Manchester via Huddersfield.
The meeting follows closely on the heels of £400,000 committed to
the Bradford in November to accelerate the council’s masterplans
for the new station, which will see it become ‘the King’s Cross
of the North’.
Councillor , Leader of Bradford
Council said:"I’m really pleased we’ve been able to
secure this new investment from Government. It’s good to see
they now recognise the value of Bradford being better connected
to the entire Northern economy. The new platform at Forster
Square Station will provide much needed additional capacity and
connectivity for Bradford in time for the district’s year as
City of Culture in 2025 and for generations to come enabling
greater mobility and access to opportunity across the district."
Matt Rice, Route Director for Network Rail’s North &
East route, said: “This funding will enable us to
deliver extra platform capacity at Bradford Forster Square and
allow for improved rail connections for passengers in the future.
We look forward to working with the Department for Transport,
Bradford Council, and other stakeholders to deliver these
upgrades for people travelling to and from the city.”
The announcement comes on top of £500 million previously
committed to upgrade and electrify the railway between Bradford
and Leeds and 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.
Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern,
said: “We welcome this investment and the benefits it
will bring to our customers across West Yorkshire. Bradford
Forster Square already sees around two million passengers every
year and with these developments we look forward to many more in
the coming years.”
Warrick Dent, LNER’s Safety & Operations Director,
said: “LNER welcomes the news of
investment in a new platform at Bradford Forster Square which
will allow us to run more trains to and from the city. Our
timetable plans will be announced nearer the time, and need
approval by the Department for Transport, but we would expect to
see a big increase in the number of LNER services. It’s
particularly exciting that the changes should happen during
Bradford City of Culture 2025.
