Is Bradford getting a through station or a terminus? - Yorkshire Post Letters
From: J Stephen Waring, Chair, Halifax & District Rail Action Group, Halifax.
It was good to read (The YP, October 20) of progress towards Bradford’s new rail station. Unknowns remain: will it be a “through” station or a “terminus”?
That apart, we must realise that the Calder Valley rail line does not end at Bradford but goes on via Halifax in Calderdale, to Rochdale and Manchester, and through East Lancs to Blackburn, Preston and Blackpool. All precious economic links for West Yorkshire, providing sustainable travel for work, education and leisure.
A new line Bradford-Huddersfield with a 10-minute journey may be very long-term, even fanciful. Will the ongoing upgrade work at Huddersfield provide enough capacity for future Bradford-Manchester fast trains?
Local people need more trains now. Our Calder Valley line needs more capacity for and higher speeds for fast westward links at a fraction of the cost of a new Bradford-Huddersfield line.
Recent reports failed to recognise important towns “beyond Bradford”. We need better links now. Examples include trains Bradford, Halifax, Elland, Brighouse and Mirfield direct to Sheffield, avoiding the present horror of going via Leeds. Across the Pennines new fast extra trains could have just a couple of stops – Halifax and Rochdale – between Bradford and Manchester.
As to the replacement station for Bradford Interchange. It needs to be central. Could it be a terminus rather than through? This would only work if conflicts between trains coming and going could be eliminated. That would mean a flying junction. Just a thought.