Park and ride in Mytholmroyd opens for business

1 February 2021

An improved park and ride car park, funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, has opened at Mytholmroyd rail station today (Monday 1 February 2021), providing better access to rail services.

Mytholmroyd rail station has received £3.95 million funding through the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, and the Leeds City Region Growth Deal - a £1 billion package of Government investment through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

The project, which has been delivered in partnership with the rail company Northern, has seen 181 new car park spaces built, including nine accessible bays and nine wide access bays. The facility also has an underground water storage tank installed to collect and store excess rainwater, which means the facility will also double as a flood defence.

Mytholmroyd rail station is one of the 14 projects within Phase 1 of the Combined Authority’s £31.5 million Rail Park and Ride programme, which has been designed to increase station parking in West Yorkshire by an estimated 2159 spaces and provide people with improved rail service options across West Yorkshire. In turn, the ambitious programme will reduce congestion, improve local air quality and enhance people’s access to jobs, training and apprenticeships opportunities as well as leisure activities.

Under the same rail park and ride programme, 265 new, free park and ride spaces have already been created at Fitzwilliam, South Elmsall, Mirfield and Garforth and further schemes across the region are already underway. This includes nearby Hebden Bridge rail station, which is scheduled to start construction later in 2021. The project will see an additional 45 car park spaces built.

Since the 2015 Boxing Day Floods, the Combined Authority has invested £20 million alongside over £170 million of partner funding into eight flood alleviation projects including at Mytholmroyd. The Combined Authority recently asked the Government for £120 million to help deliver a further pipeline of flood risk management schemes.

Cllr Tim Swift, Deputy Chair of West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leader of Calderdale Council, said: “I am pleased that work has finished at Mytholmroyd rail station and the new park and ride scheme has opened today. Adding 181 new car park spaces means more people will be better connected to work, education and leisure opportunities.

“Park and ride schemes are a key part of our transport strategy for West Yorkshire, because they are critical in encouraging people to switch to public transport services, reducing the number of cars on the road. This scheme is also unique as it doubles as a flood defence providing a water storage tank as an integral part of the design.”

Cllr Kim Groves, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “Investing in park and ride schemes is just one of the ways the Combined Authority is making it easier for people to use public transport so we can reduce congestion, improve air quality and tackle the climate emergency.

“We look forward to continuing with work under our Rail Park and Ride Programme across the region helping improve access to rail for more of our communities.”

Tony Baxter, Regional Director at Northern, added: Tony Baxter, Regional Director at Northern added: “The new car park will deliver significant improvements for our customers using Mytholmroyd station, and we’re proud to have also been able to play a part in preventing future flooding in the area.

“This project is a real testament to partnership work, and we are delighted that the community is now better protected. We know this will bring much-needed reassurance to local residents and businesses who are sadly familiar with the devastating impact of flooding.”