Lower concourse in Bradford Interchange open after 10 months

The bus station and the inner concourse that served both bus and rail passengers were closed in early January after concrete fell from the building into the basement car park.

Since then, the building has been shut for health and safety reasons while extensive surveys were carried out to see if it was safe to reopen – or would need to be replaced.

Bus passengers have been forced to catch their buses at a variety of different stops dotted around the city centre, while the thousands of rail passengers who used Bradford Interchange each day were unable to use the public toilets in the station At a meeting of West Yorkshire Combined Authority – the organisations which owns and operates the station – later this week, members will hear that surveys and experts have agreed the station can re-open.

The inside of the Interchange (Image: T&A)

Safety measures will be put in place, with the aim of the bus station operating again from January 5.

But today passengers were able to return to the indoor concourse at the station for the first time since it shut – a small but still significant step in the station’s eventual full reopening.

As well as the toilets, passengers will also have access to the station’s escalators and lifts.

However, much of the Interchange still looks like a building site. Work is currently underway to turn the outside are of the station, previously used by taxis, into a new public plaza.

The outdoor plaza being created at the front of the Interchange (Image: T&A)

And the ramp that has provided the main access to the rail platforms will soon shut for a major refurbishment – which will include new murals being painted on the route.

At Thursday’s meeting WYCA members will discuss the future of the businesses that were based in the Interchange before it shut – including Greggs, WH Smith and Java Joe coffee shop.

However, this section of the meeting will take place with the press and public excluded due to commercial confidentiality.

Although the bus station will reopen in Early January, it will only be a partial reopening. When the station was closed – contractors were part way through a major resurfacing programme at the Interchange.

Resurfacing taking place at the Bridge Street entrance to the Interchange (Image: T&A)

This will need to be completed before the station is 100 per cent operational again.

Work has started on resurfacing the Bridge Street entrance to the station, and this should be completed by December.

Work to resurface the remaining areas on the bus concourse will last until April, meaning certain stands will not be up and running until Spring.