A LONG-AWAITED railway station has been delayed by a further ten months at least, as teams search for more hidden mine workings.

The opening of the new £10.8m railway station for Low Moor, which has already suffered a series of delays, had been put back to this summer after a 60m-deep mine shaft was discovered under the site.

Now the opening date has been pushed back again, to May next year, to allow more surveys to take place, transport bosses have said.

And if other centuries-old mine workings are uncovered, work could be delayed further still.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration, planning and transport, said: “We’re disappointed that the date has moved back again but since mine workings were not always correctly recorded, full investigations are required, which obviously takes time.

“It is really important that we get this right to avoid problems in the future.”

The station has been funded by West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Bradford Council and Network Rail but contingency funds mean the extra work has not added to the overall costs.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority had previously said the mineshaft which had been uncovered had since been filled and capped.

But yesterday, a spokesman said this work was still ongoing.

He said: “Mining has taken place in the area going back 200 years but sadly those workings were not always accurately recorded. Work to fill and cap the previously reported mineshaft at Low Moor is well under way and expected to be complete by September this year.

“Working in areas with unrecorded abandoned mine workings is difficult, which is why we took expert advice and further ground investigations are under way in order to firmly rule out the presence of any further related workings.

“No train services are being affected, and we are committed to working with our partners to restart the construction programme and get Low Moor Station open as early as possible in 2017 if no further mine workings are discovered.”

The extra surveys on the northern end of the site have been recommended by an independent mining expert.

Meanwhile, work is continuing on the southern side, including the lift tower and stairways, transport chiefs said.

When it opens, Low Moor, on the Calder Valley Line between Bradford and Halifax, will be the 69th rail station in West Yorkshire following the opening of Apperley Bridge in December last year and Kirkstall Forge in Leeds last month.

It is part of a £45m programme of investment in rail travel in West Yorkshire.