Transport chiefs will be asked to release nearly £2.5 million for detailed design and development work for a new train station in the Bradford district, which could be completed in the next two years.

West Yorkshire’s integrated transport authority, Metro, has been asked to approve spending of £2.463 million for a new station and park-and-ride facilities at Apperley Bridge and Kirkstall Forge, which, when built, will be on the Leeds to Shipley line.

A report to a meeting of the authority’s executive, which will be held on Friday, said work on Apperley Bridge’s new station could be completed by December 2013.

Bradford councillor Mike Ellis, a spokesman for Metro, said: “We are one step nearer to completion of the two stations and that is to be welcomed.

“It will mean they will be able to start some work at Apperley Bridge and there will be some land passed from Bradford Council for the car park. That has all been agreed and planning permission has been granted. Basically, it just awaits the signing off of the money to be able to get on with the job.”

The authority was told to scale down its plans for the new stations, known as the Rail Growth Package, after the Government Department for Transport (DfT) halved its contribution for the major scheme to £10.3 million.

The total cost is estimated to be £17.13 million, with the shortfall being made up by more than £5 million provided by Metro and the owners of the Kirkstall Forge site, Commercial Estate Group.

Out of the total funding needed, £254,000 will be through Metro’s local transport plan and just over £1 million from the sale of railway rolling stock. Property developers Commercial Estates Group will contribute £1.174 million.

Coun Ellis said the two stations would be built at the same time to minimise disruption to the rail network and the amount of compensation to be paid to operators to pay for alternative transport while sections of the track are out of service.

Plans for the new Apperley Bridge station include a new access road off Apperley Lane, a drop-off point and 300-space car park, ramps and CCTV.

Passenger information displays and a public address system, secure cycle parking and shelters are also included in the scheme.

The new road link will be between the Stansfield Arms pub and Little Park, with a traffic light junction and a road to the drop-off point. Planning permission was granted in March 2010 by Bradford Council.

If agreed at Friday’s meeting, Network Rail, which will eventually own the stations, will press ahead with detailed plans for their development, before they are given final approval by the DfT.

The report reads: “It is envisaged that development works related to the Rail Growth Package will be completed in spring 2013 with the submission of “full approval” application to the DfT in summer 2013.

“The proposed new rail stations could be completed in December 2014.”