Platforms in Bradford being extended to improve one of West Yorkshire's 'poorest performing' rail lines

The Calder Valley Line links Leeds and Manchester via Bradford and Halifax, but clogged routes and slow moving trains have led to multiple calls for the line to be upgraded.

Work is now underway to extend platforms at Bradford Interchange Station, and along with other planned improvements the changes are expected to lead to a reduction in the journey time between Bradford Interchange and Manchester Victoria of three minutes.

The works are among the various transport projects in Bradford that will be discussed a meeting of West Yorkshire Combined Authority on Monday.

The works at Bradford Interchange will see platforms three and four extended, and began yesterday. Network Rail and Northern Rail are carrying out the works in readiness for newer and longer trains which will call at the station. To minimise disruption to passengers, the work is being carried out overnight. The upgrade works are due to be completed in early December.

The platform extensions come shortly after signal improvement works took place at the station over the weekend.

A report to the Combined Authority’s Bradford District Consultation Sub Committee said: “There should be immediate benefits from completion of this project in terms of the reliability of the line, as there will be greater flexibility to recover from delays. This is important because the line of often one of the poorest for performance in West Yorkshire.

“The works will also facilitate the planned increase in services on the Calder Valley line from December 2019, as well as the ability to better space out the mix of fast and stopping trains.”

The committee will also discuss the impact of new rail timetables introduced this Summer. The changes caused hundreds of services across the country to be cancelled. The report says since the new timetable an average of 2.6 per cent of Northern Rail trains have been cancelled and five per cent of trains have operated in the region with fewer carriages than planned.

TransPennine Express services fared much worse. The report says that since the new timetable was introduced an average of 16 per cent of its trains have been cancelled

And the changing seasons could mean more misery. The report says: “Autumn will bring further risks to rail performance due to the effect of leaf-fall on rail conditions. Train Operators and Network Rail have given assurances that the necessary planning and resources are in place however weather conditions create a variability in this regard. The ongoing industrial action at Northern is currently reducing the level of service operated on Saturdays.”

The Committee meets in City Hall at 5pm on Monday.