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Rail

Cleaner. Greener. Better connected. There are so many reasons why trains are so crucial to making our local West Yorkshire network better. We’re committed to making our trains work for the hundreds of thousands of people that rely on them for work and leisure travel.

West Yorkshire is home to Leeds rail station, one of the busiest railway stations outside London. It's at the very heart of the North's rail network. It’s crucial to invest in our railway infrastructure, delivering the support it has needed for decades.

To make our railways accessible for everyone, we need to meet de-carbonisation goals and boost productivity by connecting towns and cities better. We must act on our plans. Our Rail Vision, created in 2021, highlights four key areas for a greener, safer and more efficient future in rail travel for our region.

That’s why we’ve created a comprehensive Rail Strategy that makes clear our priorities, plans and roll-out method for transforming the railways in our region. You can access the strategy in full below.

Platform and tracks of Leeds train station

Delivering capacity for growth

In the short term, we’re increasing station capacity at Leeds Railway Station. Over time, we will need major investment in our rail network, including East Coast Main Line, Northern Powerhouse Rail Bradford-Huddersfield link, Leeds-Sheffield and Leeds-Hull electrification.

Improving station facilities and train services

We’re improving accessibility and focusing on active travel in the here and now.

We are working on a programme of new rail stations including Elland, Thorpe Park, White Rose and Leeds Bradford Airport. Over the next 5-10 years, we’re also introducing whole-industry smart ticketing programmes.

Decarbonisation

As part of our long and short-term decarbonisation plans, we continue to support Transpennine Route Upgrade and are replacing our fleets with better and greener trains. The electrification of Leeds - Bradford and Calder Valley lines are our priorities.

Transpennine Express train at Leeds rail station

Freight

We support the increasing freight capacity on Transpennine route and development of local freight interchange facilities.

Yorkshire's plan for rail

All our priorities have been detailed carefully inside our final West Yorkshire Combined Authority Rail Strategy, approved in January 2024. You can access the plan in full below.

View our rail plan