Plan is on track to reopen railway stations

station could be opened with a 'park and ride' facility under plans being backed by Metro and Leeds.

The city council has backed a motion calling for a string of new and old stations, including Apperley Bridge and Horsforth Woodside, to be opened to improve public transport.

The proposal (as an amendment) was put before a full council meeting by Councillor John Bale (Guiseley and Rawdon), who says it is the obvious answer to the A65 corridor's growing traffic problems.

He said: "The more you think about it this area is actually well served by railway lines, but not by stations.

"Guiseley is the last station before Leeds and then you have miles without one, which seems absolutely crazy when you have all these people in cars travelling to the city and there's nowhere for them to get on the train.

"So I started talking to Metro (West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority) and they are very keen to see old stations and some new stations opened, and the council is very keen to support that.

"So the speech I made to the meeting on January 12 was to support an amendment to see what stations should be reopened to take passengers away from road transport and onto the trains.

"Everyone's supportive of this, across the parties, and the good news is that of the four priority sites Metro is looking at, three of the four are in the north west edge of Leeds, at Apperley Bridge, Horsforth Woodside and Kirkstall.

"And there's no doubt that the funds for these stations could be available, particularly when you look at the major development schemes being proposed for the area."

Coun Bale admits, however, that one massive stumbling block remains before the plans can progress - the need for more train carriages to take extra passengers.

For that to happen he believes the Government needs to do more to encourage rail operators to make the major rolling stock investments required.

He said: "At the moment there is a lack of rolling stock and that's where the funding is missing, and it is significant funding, a single carriage costs around £100,000.

"If we could get the rolling stock then the funding for the stations could be found.

"And the three new stations for our area could make a big difference to traffic on the A65 corridor, which is already choked. Horsforth Woodside, being just off the ring road, would be an ideal place for a park and ride site.

"We now need all of the MPs for our area to start lobbying for a better share of national resources for rail investment."