A NEW book by Bradford-born author Dave Peel turns back the clock to the time when Bradford's Exchange railway station was demolished.

Back in 1973 officials said the Exchange was old-fashioned and the city didn't need so many railway lines.

So a plan was hatched to combine the city's rail hub with the bus station into one all-encompassing interchange.

The Bradford Interchange would allow travellers to get off a train and catch the bus with ease. It was a public transport dream.

  • Read more about the city's forgotten railway station here

But nearly 50 years later the Bradford Interchange is struggling to cope with rising rail passenger numbers and critics say it lacks the imposing character of the old Exchange with its glass canopy roofs.

Many of the photos in Mr Peel's new book were taken from his personal collection.

They reveal a time when many people think the city made a disastrous decision which still has serious implications to this day.

  • 'Railway Developments Around Leeds & Bradford Since 1968' is published by Pen & Sword Books Limited.