Hadrag officers met Kate Dearden, MP for Halifax, with representatives from Northern Trains, Network Rail, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Calderdale in a packed session on-site at Halifax station. We looking at Hadrag’s paper circulated at the end of last year. Many thanks to Kate and to Northern’s office for organising the event. Big issue turned out to be yet another episode of the public toilet saga – that minimalistic, recently refurbished, unit behind the waiting room. It is of course out of service yet again, and sounding like a big job to fix, involving drains under the rail lines. We were quick to point out that a new unit by the station ticket office, using existing drains (that we presume work!) could be a better idea than repairing the platform level facility that has always seemed to be a problem. The space in the waiting room could then be used to make a new door to the south end of the platform improving access and reducing hazards of crowding. New display screens are baldly needed to provide more visible information. Good news in the relatively short term could be access-improvements hopefully within the next two years funding approved. We are really grateful for that but point out that a lot more needs to be done. Not least improving safety for people on the platform, and those accessing the station as pedestrians. Look at our shot with people crossing the approach road where it joins Church St. On a wet day some end up wading through puddles whilst avoiding cars. When the rain abates you can see a blocked drain where water ever so slowly dribbles away. There is no indication of whether the once outlined “gateway” schemes, shifted to a back burner some time ago, will ever be revived. Which is why we need action now! We are grateful to all the rail people who joined us at on that wet Friday afternoon. We will not give up on this. They will hear from us again – see post meeting summary attached (p4-5) for a start! Meanwhile road improvements on Church St and Square Rd are expected to start this spring – maybe as you read this. During the works there may be some disruption to station access, but the result should be worth waiting for, making the station approach more people-friendly not least for those accessing on foot. Whether that will include dealing with blocked drains on railway property remains to be seen. Also in this issue of Rail Views: analysis of passenger footfall for stations on our line up to March 2025, released at end of last year. We are almost – almost – recovered from the pandemic! And the “Northern Powerhouse” – what’s in for us, out in the wilds west of Bradford? It must not be just about the big cities. We want new services on the lines though Halifax, Elland and Brighouse – and a better deal for Sowerby Bridge. Join us and tell your travelling colleagues about us. Read on and enjoy! – JSW
Getting better steadily
Here are our line’s station footfall statistics up to Spring 2025, published just before our pre-Christmas issue. Good to note just about all continue to increase, taking 2024-5 as comparison. Final column of table shows whether total is now greater than (immediately) pre-Covid. You can study the results yourself. Note “+++” values for a number of stations indicating that passenger numbers now exceed pre-pandemic. Rochdale, Todmorden, Hebden Bg, Sowerby Bg, and Low Moor fall into that category. Todmorden as well as Hebden Bridge has been doing well. Mytholmroyd, Halifax, and Brighouse have still to catch up. Note also that traditional commuting destinations such as Manchester Victoria, Leeds and the two Bradford stations are not growing as fast as medium and smaller size places. But note Chester, Blackpool, Preston, Accrington, Burnley and York are all in the “+++” category. Blackburn, like Halifax, lags slightly in its recovery. Both towns surely have potential to attract more visitors by rail: Blackburn’s cathedral and market; Halifax with its own market regenerated and its station just a quarter of mile from the unarguably unique Piece Hall. ORR (Office of Road and Rail) station footfall figures Calder Valley line stations plus extras with at least hourly CV trains (years are April to March), numbers from ORR data rounded to nearest 1000 (per year). Big thanks to Richard Lysons getting most of this data together.
Rail can help revive our not so big towns too! Brighouse was fastest growing station on our line, percentage-wise, up to middle of last decade. Recently it has had more mixed results, due in part to services being diverted, or replaced by buses when TransPennine Express services are diverted. At present trains are replaced by buses Brighouse to Huddersfield, though that does not affect the above figures. On the other hand the station has benefited from extra trains to good places when TPEs call. So Brighouse needs a better service, as does Sowerby Bridge. Both stations serve as many potential passengers as Hebden Bridge but have about half the service level. Sowerby Bg needs all the trains that at present run through non-stop to call, and Brighouse – its line soon also to serve Elland – just needs more trains. Mytholmroyd is another matter, for another issue of this newsletter!
Header Image: “Halifax Station” by AdamKR is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Elland will happen – soon!
It will be 29 years late. Brighouse opened in 2000, but good news is Elland station will happen soon following approval by West Yorkshire Combined Authority. A batch of funding should get designs finalised in the coming months, work on the station to start early in 2027. Calderdale will oversee the access package including new bridges over river and canal for pedestrians and cyclists, active travellers Elland and Greetland, with work to start this June (Elland Access Package | Calderdale Next Chapter). The station itself will be near Lowfields Business Park. Trains will serve Leeds, Huddersfield, Bradford and Manchester, bringing in visitors and businesses adding to the local economy. WYCA’s picture shows the complex design: lifts, ramps and stairs reach the elevated platforms. Parking is planned for 116 cars, with cycle spaces, EV charging points, and a new toucan (pedestrian + cycle) road crossing. Quickest time Elland to Leeds will be about 35 min – which could be cut if the railway were to improve the service, as Hadrag would like, with more, faster trains. The station will also be served by Bradford-Huddersfield trains. Hadrag also wants Bradford-Sheffield trains (see back page). We are not yet sure whether Grand Central’s London trains will serve Elland. Good if they do. Cost of the station opening is now estimated at £70M including the access package. Wow!
WYCA response to Hadrag’s points
We copied Hadrag’s news release to WYCA contacts and a reply from transport committee chair Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe arrived as this newsletter was being written. Cllr Hinchliffe points out that that West Yorkshire is “making the case for service enhancements on existing lines currently and what is lacking is investment from the operators who in turn have to justify business case to Government for increased funding.”
Notes from WYCA find much to agree with in Hadrag’s submission. Practical issues include “network capacity, especially around Sheffield”. Jointly with South Yorkshire and other colleagues “we have been clear that investment in that area must be a priority for the North as a whole”.
“It is essential that the overall affordability of the railway (both operating costs and capital investment) be brought under control.” An essential goal of the new body Great British Railways.
The Horbury/Ossett station proposal has been looked at previously, as Hadrag knows, and been taken as having a relatively modest catchment. But the success of the new Manchester-Wakefield-York TPE service is noted, and the possibility could be reviewed.
WYCA commitment to electrification of our Calder Valley line is duly reasserted. We keep up the campaign, and will keep readers of this newsletter in touch.
Our shopping list for WYCA
Four Hadrag members met officers at their HQ in Leeds. The table was our agenda, with some points added afterwards. As expected, we found ourselves “on the same wavelength with WYCA on most points. Leeds to Bradford Interchange is already on the electrification agenda, though financial commitment from government is yet to come. We say a commitment is needed to continue with the rest of the Calder Valley through Halifax and Brighouse not only to Manchester but also through East Lancs.
Key points based Hadrag’s notes
Electrification – full Calder Valley line: Full Calder Valley line electrification as most efficient means of decarbonisation in long term, and of train economics. On routes such as the CV line (passenger + freight) batteries should be transitional only. Recent report suggests 2040s. We say CV electrification could follow directly after Leeds-Bfd Int or as extension of TRU wiring. At west end McV-Rochdale could start first. WYCA committed.
Bradford development: Hadrag welcomes plan for a through station replacing Interchange, provided there are good links into city centre. Leeds-Halifax timing could be cut to about 24 minutes (non-stop Leeds-Bradford). Mass-transit into centre with several central stops and through to Forster Sq? Other future possibilities might include travelator links, or self-driving pods. What is the vision?
Calder Valley line service development: We seem to be talking about a new line Bradford-Huddersfield. Route not clear. Would it not be better to prioritise improving CV line, as mentioned in WY rail strategy? Specific ideas to give early results:
- All present CV trains to call at Sowerby Bg.
- Additional fast service (2 per hour) Bradford-Manchester, journey time 40 min, 2 stops (Hfx, Rcd).
- Better deal for Brighouse & Elland: Upper Calderdale-Brighouse-Leeds increase to 2 trains/hr of which one fast Bgh-Leeds in 20 min.
- Bradford-Halifax-Elland-Brighouse-Mirfield-Barnsley-Meadowhall-Sheffield, attractive journey time Brighouse-Shf 55 min requiring short Horbury-Crigglestone curve reopening.
Hadrag is keen to see progress on developing the Calder Valley service. Fast trains Bradford-Manchester could do the journey in as little as 40 minutes including stops at Halifax and most of us think also Rochdale. Other trains would serve intermediate stations. Line-speed improvements and loops could add capacity – with loops to pass freight.
Yes, there is talk of new route Bradford to Huddersfield feeding into TransPennine Express services. The route of this line is not clear. A Calder Valley line upgrade would be much less costly and quicker to achieve.
Local transport plan and beyond
We completed on-line Hadrag’s response to Mayor Tracy Brabin’s local transport plan. The plan is quite general. We mentioned the need for fast trains on existing routes such as Bradford-Halifax-Manchester, more trains on the Brighouse line and our Sheffield desire! We expressed support for mass transit but said improvements to existing rail services must be equally urgent aims.
Calderdale will have a long wait for trams and they cannot replace a modernised Calder Valley rail line. We expressed mixed feelings about desires for high speed rail, when there is so much need to improve existing rail services. We supported aims of integration, inclusivity and affordability, safety, active travel and access.
On zero-emission we said Calder Valley FULL line electrification must remain top priority. This was, after all, the top-ranked scheme of the 2015 Northern Sparks task force. Hybrid battery-powered trains will be part of the transition, but the end point must be a fully electric railway delivered as part of a cost-cutting rolling programme, benefitting passengers and freight.
City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement access works expected 2027 to 2028
We are really grateful for a detailed reply written by West Yorkshire CA rail development manager Michael Sasse on behalf of Cllrs Susan Hinchcliffe (chair of WYCA transport committee) and Eric Firth (deputy chair). We had a conversation with Cllr Firth at the Northern Trains stakeholder event in November. We also spoke to Northern officials, pressing them for action.
Good news from WYCA, and our conversations with Northern, is that Halifax is on the list for Phase 1 of a Rail Accessibility Package, (under CRSTS – City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement) expected to go committee this month.
Halifax is one of 22 West Yorkshire station expected to benefit and should get: Braille station maps*, Help points, Induction loops*, Handrails with Braille*, Accessible WC and baby change facilities*, Painted lines on footpaths, Anti-slip stair edging*, Seats inside, Seats outside, Furniture Painting, Tap Rails*.
Hebden Bridge is also on the list for starred (*) items.
We guess some items may be upgrades of existing. The Halifax accessible toilet has recently had new fittings: is this enough? We think more is needed.
Work across the county should start in March 2027 and end by Aug 2028. The email talks about the recent local transport plan consultation, which is expected to be adopted at the March 2026 combined authority meeting. Then further development and “delivery of the Halifax station gateway scheme will considered alongside other priorities”.
Hadrag will continue to emphasise the point that for train passengers what matters first and foremost is convenient and modern rail facilities and early action to improve them.
Confusing Routes and Fares but Future Potential for Brighouse and Elland
Our picture is platform 9 at Leeds. The train’s destination blind just seems to say “Northern”. Announcements say it is going to Brighouse (all stations via Dewsbury). Actually these trains go on to Bradford Interchange via Halifax. It will probably be overtaken on its way to Halifax by a direct train via Bradford, which is one reason to not use this train if you want to get to Halifax or Bradford.
And tickets Halifax-Leeds state “valid only via Bradford”. (Can’t help wondering how many people spot that on their ticket.) At Halifax the main screens show, including two trains next to each other both going to Leeds but one going from P1 (the Brighouse way) instead of P2. This general screen does not say that this train serves Brighouse. Nor does it say “open” tickets to Leeds are not valid. But you can get “advance” tickets to Leeds via this route, and some travellers do so.
We found an example where the off-peak return Hfx-Lds via Bradford was £8.80 but with 2 singles via Brighouse you can do the trip for £7.70. (All fares quoted are before railcard etc discounts). The reason for this is that the fare from Brighouse to Leeds is more than the fare from Halifax. Yet Brighouse is nearer to Leeds and has a poorer service. Would it not make sense for Brighouse-Leeds and Halifax-Leeds to be equal fares?
There’s another thing here. The Bradford-Brighouse-Leeds trains are temporary until the end of next year whilst TransPennine upgrade work prevents them going to Huddersfield. Some Hadrag members have suggested Leeds-Brighouse-Bradford should be made permanent, connecting with Dewsbury area stations. There would still be the Wigan trains via Dewsbury and Brighouse we’d still like them to run 7 days/week by the way. And of course the Bradford-Huddersfield trains would have to be restored. So this would be more trains for Brighouse and for Elland. As we keep saying, Elland is going to happen, maybe in not much over two years’ time. Keep the faith!
All Trains Should Stop at Sowerby Bridge
We keep saying all present trains that pass through Sowerby Bridge should stop there. That would double the service frequency giving three each hour (Mon-Sat) to Manchester and one Blackpool-York.
The station serves at least two council wards. If the Blackpool trains stopped, that would save people from having to drive up the valley.
In the future we’d like to see extra trains Bradford-Manchester calling at just Halifax and Rochdale. That we could be some years away. Carry on campaigning!
More carriages needed to cope with crowds
Autumn is always bad, trees down, floods… Now we endure trains with not enough coaches, hitting commuters and weekend trippers. Not everyone clings to their cosy car. Train overcrowding is an issue even on Sundays.
We see two-car trains on the Blackpool-York line and other segments of our service. “Normal” should be three, four or more on what should be Northern’s top link, and on other Calder Valley trains such as Leeds-Chester.
Halifax and District Rail Action Group 