Plans for a new railway station in Bradford to be unveiled next week
Plans for a potential new railway station in Bradford will be unveiled next week, according to the rail minister Huw Merriman
Last updated 21st Jun 2023
Merriman told MPs that the Government will outline proposals for how they plan to open a station in the city.
These proposals will be published in the Department for Transport’s response to a Transport Select Committee report on the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan (IRP).
The IRP has already faced backlash from northern leaders after it proposed to downgrade Northern Powerhouse Rail in November 2021.
Many hoped that the new station would be on a new line that connects Bradford to Leeds and Manchester, but the IRP’s proposals show that the route would mainly just be improvements to infrastructure already in place.
Mr Merriman told the committee: "We remain committed to the core parts of the Integrated Rail Plan, effectively the entire Integrated Rail Plan.
"Where we've been looking, following the comments made by the Prime Minister during last summer, was getting better options assessed for Bradford and enabling Bradford to put forward a new station to help them with their city centre regeneration.
"That's something that we're very keen to do, which will obviously mean alterations to the Integrated Rail Plan were we to do that, but I believe that will be a positive.
"We've been working very positively with the Treasury and also the Department for Levelling Up with regards to Bradford so I think that's an area where I very much hope that our response will be welcomed by the committee.
"I can assure you that we remain on track to get that to you by the end of this month, so by next week."
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already said he is committed to “levelling up” northern England, responding with “an unequivocal massive yes” at a Conservative Party leadership debate in July 2022.