AN influential group of MPs has recommended that Government re-think its decision to scrap Northern Powerhouse Rail and the new Bradford station it would bring.

Failure to deliver the station would squander Bradford’s potential to become “an engine room of the Northern Powerhouse” and “undermine the project of Levelling Up”.

The Transport Select Committee has today published its study into the Integrated Rail Plan – the controversial document published last year that announced much of the high-speed rail line, including a Bradford station, would be scrapped.

A Leeds leg of the HS2 rail line was also to be dropped.

The Select committee, headed by Conservative MP Huw Merriman, visited Bradford in February to see the potential site for the Bradford station – the current St James Market site off Wakefield Road.

The report says: “Bradford City Council summarised its reaction to the IRP by saying that the city had been ‘left behind.’ “Witnesses told us that the potential to unlock Bradford is huge; a mainline connection from Bradford could create access to a labour pool of 6.7 million people and potentially 1.3 million jobs. Under the preferred NPR options, Bradford could have gained an additional 2.6bn in GVA (Gross Value Added).

“We heard Bradford described as ‘the middle child’ that continually misses out on opportunities compared to Leeds and Manchester, and that, to effectively level up the North, all three cities must prosper together.

“The potential of Bradford as an engine room of the Northern Powerhouse may be squandered if it is not given opportunities to thrive through better connectivity.

“Direct high-speed connections would give the city access to a much broader pool of labour, as well as allowing other cities to benefit from the talent and potential of its own residents.

“Leaving such a large and dynamic city behind would undermine the project of levelling up the country.”

The report questions Government thinking when it came to Bradford. The Integrated Rail Plan said there were low numbers of people in Bradford who commute by rail.

Rail plan slammed as a 'betrayal of Bradford'

But the Committee said: “The Government are making a circular argument by pointing to current patterns of public transport use as justification for decisions about future infrastructure.

“Services must be in place, consistently, for people to use them.

“A full assessment of the levelling up impact of the various NPR and HS2 Eastern leg options does not appear to have been carried out to date. The Government must ensure that the impact of NPR decisions on Bradford in particular is robustly assessed.”

In its rail plan the Government argued that the St James’ Market site was “separated” from the city centre by a major road.

The select committee said: “We visited Bradford, including the St James’s Market site, during our inquiry. We disagree with the Government’s assessment: the extra distance from the city centre does not seem to us an insurmountable barrier.

“Furthermore, the site is ready for construction— albeit requiring a considerable reconfiguration of the road network.

“The Government should reconsider the case for the development of a new station in Bradford. The development of the St James’s Market station would not only enhance rail connectivity in the North, allowing further investment in the city, but also provide further opportunities for rail development in Bradford after the ‘core pipeline’ of IRP upgrades take place.”

Mr Merriman said: “Many towns and cities are already disappointed by the proposals which have been set out.

“The Prime Minister promised that he would, with Northern Powerhouse Rail, do for the North what he did for Londoners with Crossrail. Instead, much of the track will be an upgrade of existing line.

“Those we spoke to from the cities of Leeds and Bradford, in particular, do not recognise that the finalised plans meet either the promises they believe were made or the Prime Minister’s stated aims.

“For these cities, and the taxpayer as a whole, the Government must demonstrate the rationale for its decisions.

“We ask Government to revisit the evidence base for the decisions they have reached.”

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said: “If the next Prime Minister is serious about growth and levelling up, we need to see them back the original scheme for Northern Powerhouse Rail with a new station in Bradford.

“Better connecting the great cities of the North must be a priority and this has to include Bradford as the fifth largest Metropolitan District in the country.

“Research has shown that this development could add £15bn to the North’s economy, generating growth, jobs and prosperity for our district. We have the plans in place to make this happen.

“All we need is the green light and the right investment from Government.”