Bid to get delayed Low Moor railway station back on track (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Bid to get delayed Low Moor railway station back on track

8:00am Tuesday 19th February 2013 in News

The delayed new railway station at Low Moor, Bradford, could be back on track if a fresh funding bid gets the green light from transport bosses.

The long-awaited station was first mooted in 2000, but changes in design and other demands have put any possible completion date back to 2015.

At a specially-convened meeting to discuss its progress, residents expressed fears the new station would never arrive at all due to a cash shortfall.

But now transport body Metro is applying for an extra £3.3 million from Network Rails’ New Stations Fund.

West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority executives meet this Friday to discuss the bid, with a recommendation to approve its submission.

A report to the authority states: “The scheme funding is to be allocated through an open competition and an awards panel of the Department of Transport, Network Rail, Association of Train Operating Companies and Campaign for Better Transport will assess the bids.

“It is Metro’s intention to bid for a supplement to the current allocation of funding and the bid will be in the estimated region of £3.3million.”

The closing date for applications is Monday and schemes must be at Network Rail’s “GRIP3” stage of development. The Low Moor station scheme is further ahead than that – currently at “GRIP4” – and so is more than eligible for the funding.

Councillor David Robinson (Ind, Wyke) said: “This is very good news, let’s hope it goes through.

“We have already ring-fenced £5.5 million for the station, but it does seem we have gone one step forward and two back over the years.

However, now hopefully we might be getting somewhere. People in Bradford south are still very positive and recently formed a Friends of Low Moor Station group. It’s all part of keeping up the profile and momentum.”