Strong growth for West Yorkshire’s new rail stations

14 January 2020

New figures from the Office of Rail and Road show the strong performance of West Yorkshire’s new train stations.

Significant investment (£26.7 million) from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority supported the opening of Apperley Bridge, Kirkstall Forge and Low Moor stations in 2018.  

The second set of comprehensive figures covering all three stations shows Apperley Bridge was used by 375,749, passengers while Kirkstall Forge was used by 232,386 passengers last year, a growth of 0.9% and 54.7% respectively. Low Moor, which opened in March 2017, has seen an increase of 5.7%, with 140,690 station users in its second year of operation. The Combined Authority will continue to work with Northern and Network Rail to achieve its ambition for two services an hour at Low Moor to deliver the station’s full potential.

The ORR report highlights Leeds continued status as the busiest station in the North with over 30 million people passing through in 2018/19.

Cllr Judith Blake, Leader of Leeds City Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Lead, said:

“Against the backdrop of regional disparities in funding, these figures highlight the strong return that can be secured through investment in the North of England transport network.

“This report highlights Leeds station’s status as the busiest in the North of England. With passengers numbers expected to double over the next 30 years, it is essential that investment in this gateway for the region, as well as the local network, matches our ambitions for further growth to help address the capacity crisis across West Yorkshire.

“To deliver the modern, reliable rail service we need and deserve, the Government must commit to HS2 phase 2b and Northern Powerhouse Rail with a city centre station in Bradford.”

A copy of the latest statistics can be found on the ORR website (opens in new tab).