Work begins on latest West Yorkshire rail station

Construction work on a new �10.8m rail station at Low Moor, Bradford, is underway.

Low Moor - group shot Funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority, City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council and Network Rail, the new station is on the Calder Valley Line between Bradford Interchange and Halifax and will serve passengers in Low Moor, Oakenshaw and Wyke.

It�s the third new station to be built in West Yorkshire over the coming months, following on from Apperley Bridge and Kirkstall Forge.

Cllr Keith Wakefield, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: �As well as improving travel links for people traveling into the city centre and towards Halifax, Leeds and Manchester the new station is located within convenient access of the M62 / M606 junction. It will attract park & ride users which will reduce congestion, and also generate significant economic and social benefits in attracting new jobs and investment to the Low Moor area.

�The new station has great support from the local community, which is why we and our partners have earmarked significant funding through the Local Transport Plan. Like other new stations in the region, it will have a positive impact on housing and the social economy of the area.�

Coun Val Slater, Bradford Council�s Executive Member for Housing, Planning and Transport, said: �I welcome the long awaited start to this station, which will bring a number of benefits to the people of Bradford South and Bradford as a whole. It has been a long journey to get to this point, with a number of difficulties that have had to be overcome, but persistence and hard work have paid off and I look forward to the opening of the station.�

Andrew Penny, area director at Network Rail, said: �I�m proud that work on another station in Yorkshire is underway. This station at Low Moor will further improve the rail links into some of major cities in our region bringing social and economic benefits to passengers and the surrounding area."

Station facilities will include:

fully-accessible platforms with footbridge and passenger lifts;
modern waiting shelters with seating, lighting and CCTV coverage
customer information screens and public address system;
130 car parking spaces with dedicated disabled persons parking bays, drop off point and cycle parking;
direct access to and from the adjacent Spen Valley Greenway for pedestrians and cyclists.

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The new station is expected to be open in spring 2016.

Natalie Loughborough, Customer Service Director for Northern Rail commented: �This station has been long in the pipeline and we are pleased to see work is now underway. It is a difficult site with challenges underfoot but it is an absolute credit to West Yorkshire Combined Authority and to Bradford Council for pushing on with the project.

�At Northern, we are looking forward to its completion and servicing yet another West Yorkshire community and we are also look forward to working with the Friends of Low Moor once their station opens for business.�
The start of work has also been welcomed by ward councillors Sarah Ferriby, David Robinson and David Warburton.

�It is very fitting that our hard work has come to fruition, and that we have a new beginning 50 years after the last train stopped at the old Low Moor railway station. Whilst work was going on in the background, the community came on board and set up the Friends of Low Moor Station before we had a station, and we have the possibility of Grand Central services calling once the station opens.�

Judith Cummins MP for Bradford South added: �Good transport links are essential for economic success and job creation here in Bradford South and across the region. Work starting on Low Moor station is great news and a major boost for the area.�