Passengers using New Pudsey Rail station are set to benefit from improved car parking facilities, thanks in part to £710,000 of funding from transport authority Metro.

At yesterday’s meeting, the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority Executive Board approved the funding as part of a £1.14 million scheme, which will add 176 new car parking spaces and make junction improvements on Owlcotes Lane.

“I am delighted that the Authority has approved funding towards this scheme," said Metro Chairman Coun James Lewis. “New Pudsey station is an important stop on a key commuter route between Bradford and Leeds and the extra places will extend the existing car park by almost two-thirds, encouraging more people to change from car to train and relieving pressure on busy routes between our two cities.”

Additional funding will come from Leeds City Council and from Northern, through the Station Commercial Project Facility, a joint fund of the Department for Transport, Network Rail and the Association of Train Operating Companies. Metro and Northern have also bid for funding from the National Station Improvement Plan to improve the existing ticket office and pick-up/drop-off point in the car park.

Leeds City Council will deliver the junction improvements, while the car park extension will be delivered by Northern. It follows on from other car park extension schemes at Todmorden, Sowerby Bridge and Crossflatts. If the funding and necessary approvals are in place by the end of the year, the car park extension and junction improvements could be completed by July 2013.