Halifax and District Action Group welcomes new transport plans

STEPHEN WARING, Chair of the Halifax & District Rail Action Group, said: “As a group campaigning for better rail services serving the whole community, services designed for wellbeing and designed to combat the climate crisis, HADRAG welcomes this announcement, which also complements our Electric Railway Charter joint campaign with other groups on the Calder Valley line.

“The mass transit plans are ambitious and comprehensive. They could include trams, tram-trains, new ‘very light rail’ systems and electric buses. Stretching from Halifax to the east Leeds, clearly it will be decades rather than years before all this is complete. Meantime, we need progress on developments that have already been promised.

“We are delighted to see the proposed new train station at Elland on the map as an interchange between rail and masstransit. This could become a major local transport hub with massive benefits in the area. Elland station is proposed to be open in the next two years, with a revolutionary access package encouraging active travel – walking and cycling – as well as bus and car access.

We have been concerned at rumours that Elland could be delayed because of works on the TransPennine rail route upgrade, and look to Calderdale Council and its representatives on West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) to press for Elland to open on time. Plans for rail electrification must also be brought forward, and it is good to see this in the report.

“Our members met online recently and we were very clear that we prioritise improving our existing rail network – including electrification as well as new stations such as Elland – ahead of long-term big projects such as high-speed rail. The local mass transit proposal will be a welcome future addition but must not distract from work that needs doing now.”

We prioritise improving our existing network ahead of long-term big project