A “BOLD” vision is expected to be set out today as the case is ramped up for a Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) station in
Bradford city centre.
In a speech today, Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, is expected to lay out the ambitious plan, backed by the Telegraph & Argus in our new On the Right Track campaign, for a new high-speed rail station and how it could unlock the city’s potential.
It comes as civic and
business leaders from across Yorkshire and the North are urging the Government not to break its promise to voters by scaling back NPR in Bradford.
While the Government has made repeated commitments to deliver the project in full, in February this year it told Transport for the North to hold off on submitting its plans for NPR.
This has prompted fears Bradford will miss out altogether in the upcoming Integrated Rail Plan, which is due to be published later this year.
Cllr Hinchcliffe said: “Bradford is one of the fastest-growing, youngest and most diverse cities in the country. It is brimming with talent and potential. The Prime Minister has committed to Northern Powerhouse Rail, and this early
stage of the line from Leeds to here could see real progress made by making us the equivalent of only a short tube ride apart, a critical step to the full network to Manchester and on to Liverpool.
"Our vision for Bradford is bold. A new rail station built in a decade with an extended city centre that will help us become better-connected through that gateway and more prosperous.
“This would create a Bradford economy a third larger than it is today with an increase in size of economy by a third, equating to £2.9 billion a year annually in GVA and 27,000 more jobs by 2060.”
An NPR station in central Bradford would create an integrated urban area larger than Birmingham, with a labour market of more than 1.3 million people and more than 600,000 jobs.
A new line would cut the travel time between Bradford and Manchester from over an hour to just 20 minutes, while the journey to Leeds would be slashed to seven minutes.
And journeys to Manchester Airport would be just 30 minutes, down from one hour 40 minutes.
Lord Jim O’Neill, vice-chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said NPR is “vital” to building a thriving Northern Powerhouse.
He said: “It is now critical we get spades in the ground on the new line, building a new station for Bradford and building the tracks to Leeds to get faster, more reliable, more frequent services. Building stronger links between Bradford and Leeds will unlock agglomeration benefits for both cities, with a population and labour market larger than Birmingham.
"Once we have built forged stronger connections between city regions across the Pennines, the North can act as a genuine counterweight to London and the South East.”
Calls for a city centre station have been backed by the Bradford Business Improvement District.
Chairman Ian Ward said it would have a “transformative” impact on the city.
He said: “In short, it’s a game changer for Bradford and a vitally important development that we cannot allow to slip through our fingers.
"If the Government truly believes in ‘levelling up,’ there is no better place to start than Bradford and guaranteeing that NPR will run through our city centre will show that it means it and create a real win-win for that ambition.”
Mike Cartwright, of the West and North
Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said a city centre station would deliver a “step-change” in the city’s economic growth.
"A Department for Transport spokesperson said the Government is committed to “bringing the benefits of high speed rail to Yorkshire and beyond”.
They added: “Our Integrated Rail Plan will outline how projects, including HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail, can work together to deliver the reliable train services that passengers need and deserve, as quickly as possible.”
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