Passengers urged to plan ahead as £2.5m railway upgrade in Bradford gets underway

The £2.5million project will take place just outside of Bradford Interchange Station and will see the track upgraded and two new sets of switches and crossings, the specialist pieces of equipment which allow trains to move from one piece of track to another, installed.

Currently, whether a train approaches the station from Leeds or Halifax determines which platforms it is able to stop at.

Once completed, this work will remove these restrictions allowing for greater flexibility for trains entering the station.

Network Rail says passengers will benefit from a more modern and reliable railway, as well as a reduction in trains waiting outside of the station for a platform to become available.

Due to the nature of the work, no trains will be able to serve Bradford Interchange Station on Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27.

Bus replacements for Grand Central services will be in operation between Bradford Interchange, Low Moor and Halifax. Passengers are advised to check before they travel via National Rail Enquiries or with Grand Central.

There is also planned industrial action affecting Northern services on Saturday, May 26. Those travelling with Northern are advised to check with the train operator before travelling.

Rob McIntosh, Route Managing Director at Network Rail, said: “This investment into the railway in Bradford will reduce waiting times outside of the station, resulting in a more modern, reliable railway for passengers with fewer delays and will make sure that we can continue to provide a railway which meets the needs of the communities and economies we serve.

“There’s never an ideal time to work on the railway.

"We do so at weekends as this is when it causes the least disruption to train services, however we appreciate that this can still impact on passengers and we’d like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience this causes and thank passengers for their patience during this upgrade.”