Bradford: city vision of Northern Powerhouse rail station

A "bold vision" for a new Northern Powerhouse railway station on the St James market site in Bradford has been outlined by the council's leader.

The ambitious plan for the high speed rail link to replace the city's rail Interchange could be ready by 2030, Susan Hinchcliffe said.

Ms Hinchcliffe said a new rail link would connect Bradford to cities in the north and south of the country.

She said it was "the right vision for this new era of new Britain".

Bradford council said the city's case for a new station and inclusion in a Northern Powerhouse rail link would add millions to the economy and create 27,000 extra jobs.

The cost of the new station was estimated to be around £500m by the council.

Ms Hinchcliffe said Bradford was one of the fastest-growing, youngest and most diverse cities in the country.

The council leader added: "Our vision for Bradford is bold.

"A new rail station built in a decade with an extended city centre that will help us become better-connected and more prosperous."

She said the plan was "getting spades on the ground in this decade and huge benefits realised in the following decade."

Lord Jim O'Neill, vice-chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: "The Northern Powerhouse Rail project from Leeds to Bradford across to Manchester, travelling on to Manchester Airport and Liverpool, is vital to the long-term goal of raising productivity and building a thriving Northern Powerhouse."

In July 2019 Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised a faster rail route between Leeds and Manchester, claiming the benefits would be "colossal".

In a speech in Manchester he gave his backing to the trans-Pennine transport link to "turbo-charge the economy".

The NPR (Northern Powerhouse Rail) project was part of Mr Johnson's wider commitment to deliver a high-speed railway link across the north of England, which would cost about £39bn.

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