Plans for major upgrades to Halifax train station are set to move a step closer, as Calderdale Council’s Economy and Investment Panel is asked to give the go ahead to carry out more detailed feasibility work.
Today (Thursday 20 October) the Panel will discuss the exciting proposals for a complete revamp of Halifax Station and the surrounding area.
The vision is to improve journeys for passengers, reduce travel times, create a more attractive environment, improve links with key attractions and boost the local economy.
Subject to approval, this would be achieved through a number of improvements, including:
- A new, high-quality, modern station that is easy and pleasant to move around, with a range of facilities for passengers.
- A new bus interchange on site to make journeys quicker and easier, providing better connectivity within and beyond Calderdale.
- Better access to and from the station through improvements to the layout, parking and the surrounding roads.
- An attractive area around the station, with plenty of green space and places for passengers, pedestrians and cyclists.
- Better links to key attractions, such as Eureka!, the Piece Hall, the new Central Library and Archive and Square Chapel.
- Potential new business opportunities by reviewing options to reopen the Grade I listed ‘1855 building’ next to the station.
- Potential reopening of the third platform in front of the ‘1855 building’.
This is part of the Council’s work to bring benefits from a once-in-a-lifetime investment in transport infrastructure from the Leeds City Region’s £1 billion West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund. The fund is being invested over 10 years in more than 30 transport infrastructure schemes across West Yorkshire and York, designed to create around 20,000 new jobs and add £2.4 billion a year to the economy by the mid-2030s.
Cllr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said:
“The train station is an important part of our town – many commuters rely on it to get to and from work every day, residents use it to visit friends and family, people use it to do business and for many tourists it’s the first place that they see when they visit.
“We have a fabulous town with a huge amount of current and planned regeneration, so it’s vital to open it up to more people through rail and other transport improvements.
“The Council is keen to move the station upgrade plans forward, as they’re an important part of our work to ensure Halifax remains a place where businesses want to invest and people want to live, work and visit.”
The Economy and Investment Panel meeting is taking place today (Thursday 20 October) at Halifax Town Hall from 6pm.
The Panel will be asked to endorse the Halifax Station Gateway Masterplan to move it forward to the feasibility study stage. Subject to further approval from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, a full business case would be produced to cover the detailed design and construction requirements and a range of funding sources would be needed to deliver the full vision. As the plans progress to a more detailed stage, public consultation will take place.
The feasibility work is expected to take place during 2017.
The Panel will also be asked to recommend to the Council’s Cabinet to accept the £160,000 funding recently approved by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to progress the project.
For more information about the Station Gateway Masterplan and other major transport projects in Calderdale, head to www.calderdalenextchapter.co.uk(external link)