Bradford Council leader '1,000 per cent' behind push for new rail station to be through station
Bradford Council bosses are “1,000 per cent” pushing for the new rail station planned for Bradford to be a through line, with the leader saying he “doesn’t see much point” in it just being a re-build.
Last month the Government announced that a new rail station would be built on the Bradford Interchange site as part of the first phase of the long planned Northern Powerhouse Rail.
But there has so far been no decision on whether the station will remain a terminal, or if it will be upgraded to a through station.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the announcement, Transport Minister Heidi Alexander said there would be at least a year’s worth of surveys to determine whether a through station would be possible.
The new station was discussed at a meeting of Bradford Council’s executive on Tuesday (Nov 3) where some opposition councillors voiced concern that Reform has vowed to scrap parts of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Last year deputy leader Richard Tice said if the party were elected it would put a halt to the plans. In a report to the Policy Exchange think tank, he said companies considering bidding for contracts to build east-to-west high-speed rail links should “not bother.”
At Tuesday’s meeting Councillor Rebecca Poulsen said: “We welcome the investment, and the news that the station will be in the city centre, as there had been talks of it being outside of the centre.
“We still need this to be a through line – that is the next bit we need to push on.
“I’m a bit concerned that nationally Reform have said they don’t want to support this project and will scrap Northern Powerhouse Rail. This is really important to the people of Bradford. It would be a good to have a bit more certainty for the people who are working hard on this project.”
Bradford Council leader Coun Stephen Place said: “I’ve spoken to the leader of the national party and they will revisit any infrastructure projects depending on where they are down the line.
“As far as this administration is concerned, we are 1,000 per cent invested in a through line rather than a terminus, we just don’t see the point in investing all this money to keep the status quo.”
David Shepherd, director of place for the council, said: “We are looking at the benefits of a through line rather than just a re-build. There is a lot of evidence being collected, from timetable benefits to connectivity.
"This will all give a bigger picture of the benefits for Bradford residents.”
Councillor Matt Edwards said: “All parties are behind this, but nationally Reform have said they would scrap NPR. The deputy leader even told companies not to bother bidding for contracts. This could undermine investor commitment to the station.”
He asked if the national Reform policy was considered a risk to the scheme.
Mr Shepherd said it would be for the Department for Transport to manage any risk relating to political views, adding: “As a council we have taken steps to demonstrate cross party support.”
Councillor Imran Khan said: “My worry is also around the Reform national policy, but I’m glad you (Coun Place) have clarified this for us, because it is a game changer for Bradford and, nationally, if it was to be pulled, it would be a big problem.
“I’d also like to pay tribute to former leader Councillor Hinchliffe and Tracy Brabin, because this has been a long time coming, and they have been a real driving force behind this for years.
"I saw firsthand the amount of blood, sweat and tears, the late nights, the hard work that got this to where it needed to be, and I think we need to recognise their contribution to get this to where it is now.”
Coun Place said: “Everyone has been involved in this throughout the years. We’re not in any way, shape or form seeking to claim we’re responsible for this, we’re just happy for Bradford.”
Asked about the national party’s opposition to Northern Powerhouse Rail, a Reform UK spokesman said: “Richard Tice wrote the foreword for the Policy Exchange report which advocated for Phase 1 of Northern Powerhouse Rail. This includes the new station for Bradford.
“Reform UK has never opposed these plans.
“What we do oppose is money being spent on the Liverpool-Manchester high-speed line, which is extortionately expensive, will not deliver value for money, and will take longer than the existing line. This funding should instead be directed towards smaller, more effective local projects.”