Latest designs revealed for planned £30m railway station

New designs for a proposed new £30m railway station in Halifax have been unveiled to the public.

Calderdale Council is working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to transform Halifax Rail Station, improving the customer’s travel experience and providing a boost to the local economy.

The latest design proposals, which people can now comment on, have been developed in partnership with contractor Mott MacDonald.

Halifax Rail Station is the sixth busiest in West Yorkshire. Before the pandemic, it served more than 1.9 million rail journeys each year. But the current station has limited facilities and poor accessibility.

More than £30m from the Combined Authority’s West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund and the Transforming Cities Fund is being invested into a new station.

Until Sunday 14 February, people will be able to give their feedback on the designs, which include:

• A new two-storey station building
• A footbridge to improve access to the station
• Improved customer waiting and refreshment areas
• Walking and cycling facilities and a foot and cycle link connecting the station to the eastern side of the railway and the Hebble Trail.
• Improved drop-off facilities, car parking and taxi pick-up areas.
• Links to the A629 Phase 2 project, which includes the regeneration of the area between the station and The Piece Hall – better connecting the station to the rest of the town centre.
• The preservation and incorporation of the station’s heritage features.

Councillor Jane Scullion, Calderdale Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and strategy, said: “Having a modern, fit-for-purpose train station is important for business, jobs and tourism, and will play a key role in our recovery from COVID-19 and the wider regeneration of Calderdale.

“The plans for the new station include an impressive mix of new and heritage features, and we’re excited for people to see and comment on the designs.”

Cllr Kim Groves, chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Calderdale Council on this important scheme, which will enable more people to travel by train, bike and on foot, while transforming the gateway to Halifax.

“Providing an accessible, affordable and attractive alternative to car journeys is at the heart of our Transforming Cities Fund programme.

“It is estimated the programme will improve journeys by bus, rail, bike and on foot for up to 1.5 million people and take up to 12 million car trips per year off our roads.

“Building the future we want with a transport system fit for the 21st century is more important than ever, not only as we look to address the economic challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also in helping us achieve our aim of becoming a net zero carbon economy by 2038.”

People can learn more about the plans and comment online at www.yourvoice.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/hsg