Low Moor station opens
Posted: 4 April 2017 | | 1 comment
Leeds City Region (which has the largest city region economy outside London) is celebrating the opening of an unprecedented third new rail station in 14 months.
Leeds City Region (which has the largest city region economy outside London) is celebrating the opening of an unprecedented third new rail station in 14 months.
Credit: Metro
The new Low Moor station, which is situated between Bradford and Halifax, follows the opening of stations at Apperley Bridge (currently being used by over 20,000 people per month) in December 2015, and Kirkstall Forge, which has recently been revealed to have exceeded its forecast 20,200 annual passengers in its first five months.
Over 500,000 passengers per year are expected to use the £10.8m Low Moor station, which will provide fast links to Bradford, Halifax and Leeds, as well as links further afield to Manchester and York.
Reducing congestion
The new station will also help reduce congestion in Bradford, Halifax and Leeds by being located close to the M62’s M606 Chain Bar Junction 26.
Furthermore, Bradford has also just launched its #NextStopBradford campaign to secure a Northern Powerhouse Rail (HS3) station in its city centre.
Low Moor station is on the Calder Valley rail line which provides a vital second rail link across the Pennines between Yorkshire and the north west. West Yorkshire Combined Authority is also pressing for an upgrade and electrification of the route, in addition to the planned electrification of the Leeds, Huddersfield, Manchester Trans-Pennine line.
Local train services will be provided by Northern and four Grand Central trains per day will provide direct links with London King Cross.
HARD LINES. Over 10 million on a railway station that looks like it is built out of children’s KNEX and a few pieces of LEGO. I went on a Thursday morning. There were 20 cars in the park and ride. Hebden Bridge, for a comparison, is usually full by 8 am. The difference, of course, is that all trains stop at Hebden Bridge. I went to my platform. It took some working out because the information does not say much about train times to/from Low Moor. I ‘sussed’ out from the matrix live screen that there would be no trains for over 30 minutes. I wondered what time there would be a train back. I was going to Bradford for the Valley Parade fire service. I needed a train about noonish. By reading the screen and deducting 8 minutes I realised that there would be a train about noon. Returning to my platform I sat in the sunshine after purchasing my return ticket. I couldn’t make the m/c take my senior citizen pass. 2 trains came through at speed without stopping. On arrival in Bradford there was no leaflets etc to tell me times back. I asked the guy on information what times the Low Moor trains are. He said, “oh there is no mention of that new station but I think it is on the hour.” “I said only one train per hour?” He replied, “Afraid so.”It will take a heck of alot of full trains at one per hour to carry 500 000 passengers per year. The timetable changes on 21st May-are the Manchester/Leeds, Blackpool [North]/Selby and the Leeds/Huddersfield service. Grand Central London trains, to their credit are already stopping here. It seems that the train companies don’t want customers and love going through railway stations and ignoring the local folk who paid for the new stations or the renovation. Just a stones throw from me Sowerby Bridge and Mytholmroyd stations only get alternate trains stopping. This whilst Burnley Road running alongside is a nightmare and often subject to long hold ups. The trains on this line are not expresses in any sense of the word. Local people’s money is being used to relieve the chokkablock roads but the train companies and Yorkshire Metro do not deliver an improved service. Tell me, please, that they will a week on Sunday with the new timetables.