Start date for £2.8 million Castleford rail station transformation
“With over half a million people using it each year and that number forecast to grow, Castleford station is a key gateway to the town and this West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund scheme will see it significantly improved," said Transport Chair Cllr Kim Groves.
5 November 2019
Work on a £2.8 million transformation of Castleford’s rail station into an attractive and welcoming gateway to the town will start in mid-November.
New, high-quality passenger waiting facilities with a ticket vending machine, a disabled toilet and sheltered cycle parking are all part of work, preparations for which are scheduled to start this month.
Better links
There will also be a significant upgrade of the subway link to nearby residential areas to the south of Castleford town centre, including the installation of CCTV. And, as a later part of the work, the car park will be refurbished. Better links with the town centre and the Combined Authority’s award-winning bus station will be created along with improvements to the area around the station.
Financed through investment from the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, the Castleford Rail Station Gateway scheme is a joint West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Northern, Network Rail and Wakefield Council initiative.
The West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund is supported through the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of Government investment delivered in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.
Key gateway
Cllr Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee said: “With over half a million people using it each year and that number forecast to grow, Castleford station is a key gateway to the town and this West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund scheme will see it significantly improved.
“Improving the station and improving the spaces for people to park and ride by train will also help to reduce the damaging economic and environmental costs of congestion in our towns and cities.”
Underpinning growth
Cllr Matthew Morley Wakefield Council Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways said: “This is an exciting scheme for Castleford, which will improve facilities at the railway station.
“Good transport links play a vital role in underpinning business growth and job creation and these improvements will help to make Castleford a more attractive place to live, work and invest in.”
Transport hub
Pete Myers Stakeholder Manager for Northern said: “Castleford is an important town and for too long the station has not been a representation of this fact.
“There are many reasons for this, but now we will see a station and facilities that will properly represent the town and the communities it serves. Designed to match the new bus station the railway station will help for a real transport hub for the people of Castleford.”
Initially, passengers using the station are not expected to be affected by the work, which starts with the refurbishment at the station itself.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Wakefield Council opened the town’s £6 million bus station in February 2016. The new, covered bus station, which replaced the existing outdoor facility, picked up a silver award at 2016’s UK Bus Awards.
Find out more about the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund investment programme.