Bradford to get its new station on the Interchange site as the city centre location is confirmed
The Department for Transport confirmed on Tuesday that Bradford's new station will be built where the present Interchange stands, for delivery in the 2030s as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Bradford is to have a new city centre station on the site of the present Interchange, the Government confirmed on Tuesday, settling the location of one of the central pieces of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
The new station will replace the present Interchange on the same city centre site. It is planned for delivery in the 2030s under Great British Railways, and ministers present it as a key part of Northern Powerhouse Rail within the wider Northern Growth Strategy.
The aim is a turn up and go railway for the city, with frequent regular services linking Bradford to the other large northern cities rather than a service passengers have to plan around a timetable.
Today marks an important milestone for Bradford with a brand-new station that will transform how people travel across the NorthHeidi Alexander, Transport Secretary
Design and delivery work starts immediately, with engineering studies and partnership planning involving Bradford Council and Network Rail.
The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: "Today marks an important milestone for Bradford with a brand-new station that will transform how people travel across the North."
She added: "By bringing Northern Powerhouse Rail into the heart of the city, we are unlocking the huge potential Bradford offers, improving connections, supporting economic growth and setting the foundations for new homes, jobs and opportunities across the region."
Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: "Today is an exciting and important milestone for Bradford, with an ironclad commitment to a new station in the city centre."
The department and the combined authority link the station to the regeneration of the Southern Gateway area of the city. Together with the proposed West Yorkshire Mass Transit network, the scheme is expected to support thousands of new homes and jobs, and the combined authority puts the potential economic benefit at up to 1 billion pounds.
The present Interchange was opened in 1973 and has served the city for more than fifty years. Its replacement has been promised in successive rail plans, and a new Bradford station was included in the first phase of Northern Powerhouse Rail when the programme was announced in January 2026 with a government funding envelope of up to 45 billion pounds.
The wider programme upgrades and electrifies the lines between Leeds and Bradford, Leeds and Sheffield, and Leeds and York during the 2030s, with further improvements westwards towards Manchester following in the 2040s. For Bradford, Tuesday's announcement turns a long discussed ambition into a defined site, a delivery partnership and a place in the programme's first phase.
None to date. The Journal corrects errors promptly and transparently. Read our corrections policy.
