New £8m rail station set to open

The old Westgate station will close at 7.30am and the new one, 300 yards further north, will open at the same time.

People wanting to park must now use the 900 space multi-storey Merchant Gate car park next to the station.

The opening will mean changes to the route of the Free City Bus, from Monday onwards. The bus will take a left from Westgate onto Mulberry Way in order to serve the station, which now contains a Subway, WH Smith, Greggs and Costa Coffee. Upon leaving, the bus will continue along Mulberry Way and turn right to serve a new stop in front of Wakefield One, in Burton Street. It will then head back to Westgate via Drury Lane, where it will resume its current route.

East Coast property and projects director Tim Hedley-Jones said: “We are delighted to be opening the new Westgate station. It will offer the latest customer facilities and a stunning new gateway to Wakefield.”