Exclusive:Bradford Interchange confirmed as site for city's new through station as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail

The Transport Secretary will unveil the plans at the Scale Up Bradford Conference tomorrow, which is the Government’s first major announcement as part of the Northern Powerhouse Rail project.

The new station will replace the outdated 1970s set up, which sees trains have to reverse out before heading on to Leeds and Manchester.

Ms Alexander said it would mean more frequent trains, improved journey times and better reliability.

Speaking exclusively to The Yorkshire Post ahead of the announcement, the Transport Secretary said: “I just think it's time to put an end to the second rate connectivity that Bradford has had to endure.

“I think it's time to put an end to the fact that if people miss a train in Bradford, they have to wait another hour for another one to turn up often, and I think it's time to put an end to this idea that the next generation in Bradford have to move out if they want to get on.”

The project will be funded as part of the £45bn NPR project, which is designed to connect the North’s great cities on both sides of the Pennines.

There will be upgrades between Leeds, Sheffield and York, with the Government aiming to create a “turn up and go” network, similar to that of London.

Ms Alexander said that the new Bradford Interchange station would be completed in the 2030s, and eventually it would connect up to a new line which is being built from Manchester to Huddersfield.

Speaking about the site decision, she explained: “We've been looking at a couple of sites over the last year for the new station in Bradford which is going to be part of the NPR program.

“We have chosen the Interchange site because it has the best potential to unlock wider regeneration for the city.”

She revealed that the Department for Transport was looking to learn the lessons from the HS2 debacle when selecting the location.

“The reason why we've taken our time to decide on the location of the new Bradford station is partly so that we don't make the same mistakes as the previous government did in the past,” Ms Alexander said.

“You need to do the design and development properly so you're letting contracts that you are clear can be delivered and you know exactly what you're asking for.”

Ms Alexander cited analysis from Bradford City Council that found that the Southern Gateway, in tandem with the proposed West Yorkshire mass transit, would support 5,000 new homes, 23,000 new jobs, and up to £1bn in economic benefits.

“I think this could be really catalytic in terms of the investment,” she added.

The Transport Secretary said the new through station would be integrated with the mass transit project, which is set to bring trams back to the cities of Bradford and Leeds in the late 2030s.

“You've always got to think about how people are actually going to get to the train station in the first place,” she explained.

“NPR is about connecting the great cities of the north of England with fast and direct connections.

“West Yorkshire mass transit is about how people do those shorter journeys on public transport easily and how do you get people to the station in future.

“Everything will be planned together and then it will be all delivered in phases, but this is a turning point for public transport in Bradford and Yorkshire more broadly.

“I think that we are further forward than we ever have been when it comes to realising investment in the rail network in the north of England.”

Ms Brabin said: “Bradford has so much untapped potential, and faster, more frequent trains to Leeds and Manchester, and the transformation of the city centre through Bradford City Village, will help to finally unleash it.

“Together with investment for NPR, a mass transit system for West Yorkshire and our brand-new Weaver Network, we are working in lockstep with the Government to deliver a better-connected region.”

Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, added: “The decision to build Bradford’s new station at the interchange in the city centre is a long term commitment to the city and the wider North.”

“By unlocking the regeneration of the Southern Gateway we will see homes and jobs for this city which otherwise would not be built or come here.

“Working with the council and Mayor Tracy Brabin and her team I will be doing everything I can to push on and move forward with ambitious plans that enable future phases of Northern Powerhouse Rail.

“This network will better connect the young people in the city with opportunities in Manchester and Liverpool as well as Sheffield.”