What could this new line do for Calderdale ?

The news that a new rail line could be coming through East Calderdale, has been met with skepticism by the Halifax & District Rail Action Group who don't seem too particular keep on the idea and who appear would rather see electrification and an upgrade of the Calder Valley line instead, with more semi-fast and...

Could Manchester finally have an Underground Station ?

An underground station for Manchester has been estimated to cost up to £12.1 billion depending on which option is chosen. [1] This is for a 4 platform underground station with capability to terminate 400m long HS2 services from any platform, despite the fact that these 400m long HS2 services were never planned to head through...

Could Bradford be connected to Sheffield ?

A new report has been published by Greengauge 21 that looks at how rail links between Leeds and Sheffield can be improved by 2030! [1] Whilst this report predominantly looks at links between Leeds and Sheffield it also looks at how to improve connectivity between Sheffield and other places such as Bradford! One of the...

Why is spending on Bradford Interchange being progressed ?

The news that many transport schemes across West Yorkshire are having to be paused in order to save £270 million due to inflation is very disappointing, especially for places like Halifax which was expected to see a new railway station building constructed with proper toilets for both male and female, a dedicated unisex toilet and...

How much would it cost to connect Bradford ?

With news that another U turn (apparently) has been made on Northern Powerhouse Rail and that this now won’t include Bradford. [1] How much would it cost to connect Bradford ? A new line between Northern Powerhouse Rail at Huddersfield and Bradford has been estimated to cost £1.5  billion, a new Central station for Bradford...

Does Bradford want an underground train station ?

With the news that Bradford is to finally get a new station as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail, if this is indeed a new line via Bradford as claimed by Transport for the North, does Bradford really want an underground station ? Out of the three options presented by Transport for the North to the...

Does Andy Burnham need to reform his argument for an underground station ?

What Mr Burnham doesn’t seem to realise is that if an underground station was built for Manchester only Northern Powerhouse Rail services will be able to head through it, as HS2 services are to be 400 meters long consequently 200 meters too long to carry onto Leeds, as it was always planned to send NPR...

Is West Yorkshire doing enough to connect Bradford ?

In November 2021 it was reported that “a study of thousands of train journeys has found that Bradford has the worst rail connections of any major British city.” [1] So what does it need to improve ? If we look at neighboring Leeds and compare the two, unlike Leeds Bradford doesn’t have a regular direct...

Do we need/want Northern Powerhouse Rail ‘in full’ ?

Whilst politicians are still brandishing round claims that we need Northern Powerhouse Rail ‘in full’ what does this actually mean ? When NPR is described ‘in full’ what this basically translates as, is the option they want, which unsurprisingly is also the most expensive option but not necessarily the most beneficial to the North nor...

Can a new station for Leeds be justified ?

With the government looking at the best way to bring HS2 to Leeds and with it being reported that the proposed HS2 station on Leeds South Bank may still be on the table, can such a new station be justified ? Whilst the estimated cost of this proposed station is unclear, refurbishing London Euston has...