A new station at Bradford Interchange – confirmed by the Government – will improve connections, support economic growth and set the foundations for new homes, jobs and opportunities across the North.
Bradford’s connections with some of the North’s largest cities, including Leeds, Manchester and York, will be transformed as passengers will be able to benefit from more frequent trains, improved journey times and reliability.
The Bradford Interchange site unlocks the potential to regenerate Bradford’s Southern Gateway, and in tandem with the proposed West Yorkshire Mass Transit, would support thousands of new homes, jobs and up to £1 billion in economic benefits.
The announcement marks a major milestone in the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR). The station will also become part of Great British Railways (GBR), the new publicly owned railway that will bring track and train together, helping deliver a more reliable, efficient and passenger-focused railway.
NPR will deliver a turn-up-and-go railway for passengers from Bradford, meaning multiple trains an hour will run frequently enough between major cities across the North that passengers won’t need to check a timetable before going to the station.
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.”
The new GBR station will be delivered in the 2030s and replace the outdated 1970s station, providing the modern transport hub that Bradford deserves. The city will be at the heart of the NPR network, transforming its connections with some of the North’s largest cities including Leeds, Manchester and York, creating opportunities for investment, regeneration and economic growth.
Bradford’s new city centre station is a key part of the government’s Northern Growth Strategy, which, with Northern Powerhouse Rail, is electrifying and upgrading routes between Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and York, improving journey times and reliability across the region.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Today is an exciting and important milestone for Bradford, with an ironclad commitment to a new station in the city centre.
“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 northern powerhouse rail, 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.”
