Funding boost for new train station in Bradford

The Department for Transport is building on its promise of building a brand-new railway station in Bradford by providing £400,000 for the local authority to kickstart master planning on the project. 

The work 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 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. 

The plan was first revealed last month as part of the Government’s launch of Network North – a £36 billion long-term plan to improve the country’s transport across roads, buses and railways.

On top of the £400,000 announced for regeneration plans in the city, a total of £2bn will be invested to build the station and a new line to deliver a significantly faster, 30-minute journey to Manchester via Huddersfield.  

The 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. It’ll 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 percent from 20 minutes to as low as 12 minutes. 

Note: The image above is an artist's impression of what the new station could look like.