Building works begin on £26.5m new railway station
Rail infrastructure specialist, Spencer Group, has started construction work to deliver a new station in south Leeds.
The White Rose Railway Station will be a two-platform station providing improved access to the adjacent White Rose office park, shopping centre and bus interchange.
Based between Morley and Cottingley, the station will be on the main trans-Pennine route to Manchester via Huddersfield.
The scheme also includes improved walking and cycling routes between Cottingley, Churwell and Millshaw, as well as the White Rose Shopping Centre and the bus interchange.
Hull-based Spencer Group is delivering the project for Munroe K in conjunction with Network Rail, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds City Council and the Department for Transport.
The project has received funding from the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme and £5m from the Department for Transport’s New Stations Fund, alongside contributions from Munroe K.
Joe Bennett, operations director at Spencer Group, said: “The White Rose Station project is another example where we successfully developed proposals working with Network Rail on a critical part of the UK’s rail infrastructure to meet our client’s expectations.
“Our in-house design capability enables us to work closely with our client – Munroe K, Network Rail and other stakeholders to ensure consideration is given at an early stage to all critical aspects that may impede performance. This ensures we deliver on time and to budget.”
Simon Bethell, pre-construction director (rail) at Spencer Group, said: “White Rose is a great example of project SPEED, where we are all aligned to deliver optimum value in the fastest possible manner, whilst ensuring engineering assurance and operational safety standards are strictly adhered to.”
Charlie Spencer, executive chairman at Spencer Group, said: “It’s brilliant to see the positive engagement we’ve had on the project so far between ourselves, Munroe K, Network Rail and all stakeholders involved in the project.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing the hard work our team has made over the last year become a reality, as construction begins on such a prestigious local project.”
David Aspin, CEO of Munroe K, added: “The team at Spencer Group, through their experience and know-how, have played a key part in ensuring this catalytic piece of key infrastructure for south Leeds will be delivered in time for opening in spring 2023.”
Construction is expected to continue into early 2023.
