One major effect on Calder Valley line performance is the track capacity and flexibility of layout at Bradford Interchange station. Bradford famously has two terminus stations. Interchange adjoins the junction of lines to Bradford and Leeds, and trains from the Halifax direction going towards Leeds will always conflict with ones coming the other way. Extra tracks have been put in in recent years. So, for example you might find your Leeds train running into the station alongside another one from Leeds. But to continue their journeys these trains will have to cross each other’s paths – as if the lines were single track. That works OK if everything is running precisely to time, but at the moment that is often not the case. How often do we get stopped at signals coming into Bradford Interchange? These signal stops propagate delays.
The obvious answer is a new “through” station eliminating the need to reverse, instead of a terminus. Journey times could be cut. With other track upgrades Leeds to Bradford could be 12 minutes, Leeds-Halifax maybe 25 minutes.
But where would you put the new through station. Colin Elliff who spoke at our AGM in July wants a crosscity link to the line into Forster Square. This would be a massive project possibly cutting through the top floor of the Broadway shopping centre. Is it realistic to suggest that? Forster Sq feeds an indirect route (2 miles further) to Leeds and potentially has its own junction conflicts such as at Shipley. Colin talks of four tracking as part of solution.
A site that has been proposed more officially is St James’s wholesale market. This would slightly reduce the distance to Leeds cutting out the present curve. But St James’s is outside the present city centre. Is there a more central site that could accommodate four platforms fit for trains 250m in length (10 coaches)?
Could West Yorkshire’s mass transit proposals help? Final proposals for the first phase should be out next year. Could trams provide the missing link from a new station replacing Interchange and serving an upgraded Calder Valley service, to key city-centre stops and Forster Square?
Meanwhile work continues to make Interchange fit for use in Bradford’s Year of Culture, 2025.
What do Hadrag members think? – jsw.
“Grand Central 221142, 180106 and 195020 at Bradford Interchange 291023 (53295484526)” by Foulger Rail Photos from Basingstoke, UK
Halifax and District Rail Action Group 