"Better services for local stations are needed too," say rail campaigners in Calderdale after £45bn rail upgrade plans announced
Rail campaigners in Calderdale have welcomed £45bn plans to upgrade train services in the north, but say they don't go far enough.
The long-standing Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme will see new stations built, including in Bradford, and existing ones improved, plus faster and more frequent services across Yorkshire.
But construction is not due to start until after 2030.
The Halifax and District Rail Action Group have welcomed the announcement but is calling for improvements to services on existing lines, full Calder Valley line electrification and more trains to Leeds from local stations such as Sowerby Bridge and Brighouse.
Stephen Waring, chair of the group, said: "The new station at Bradford is vital for the Calder Valley line.
"It will allow the service to be speeded up and cut delays, by ending the need for all trains to change direction.
"But better services for local stations are needed too.
"More than a quarter of a century ago we campaigned for opening of the Brighouse line.
"We got Brighouse station but now Elland station is more than 25 years overdue.
"There are plans and we expect to welcome Elland in the next couple of years.
“Meanwhile we need more trains for Sowerby Bridge. All present trains need to stop there.
“And we need more services over the potentially transformative routes through Brighouse towards Leeds through Dewsbury and southeast towards Sheffield.
“Fast trains from Elland and Brighouse to Leeds could do Brighouse to Leeds in about 20 minutes.
“And a fast service from Bradford and Halifax could take less than an hour.
"Brighouse to Sheffield, maybe as little as 50 minutes.
"All of this needs to be about serving local communities not just regional big cities.
“That is why we want an upgraded service on the Calder Valley route towards Manchester. Faster trains taking about 40 minutes Bradford to Manchester serving Halifax and Rochdale en route.
"That must be done alongside better service for stops on the way. So we want more trains serving places like Sowerby Bridge
and Mytholmroyd too.
“Finally the popular York-Leeds-Halifax-Blackpool service to needs to be upgraded. Longer trains giving a proper, reliable regional service that people can depend on.”
Campaign group Railfuture Yorkshire said while they welcome the positive aspects of the announcement, they are concerned that funding is inadequate.
"Only £1.1bn of the £45 billion announced is committed funding during this Parliament," said Nina Smith, from the group.
"It is vital that this is spent in a way that enables project implementation to begin no later by 2028.
"Funding is capped at £45bn. Is that a cash sum or will it be increased with inflation?
"£45 billion over 15-20 years - £3bn a year - is a grossly inadequate sum to tackle the serious issues arising from historical underinvestment in the north’s railways.
"The flawed and abandoned Conservative Government’s Integrated Rail Plan was costed at £96bn, which is around £120bn in today’s money after allowing for inflation. So £45bn is a little over a third of that announcement.
"Whilst we very much welcome tackling major issues in Yorkshire being in Phase 1, we are concerned that these vital improvements will not happen until the 2030s.
"We need an earlier start.
"There will be a General Election in 2029. We do not know which party or parties will form the next government.
"There is a danger some aspects could be cancelled, despite this Government’s pledge that this plan will happen.
"This makes project starts before 2029 vital.
"As stated in our earlier release, there are many urgently needed projects and enhancements that are not in the Government’s plan.
"We need a much more ambitious plan to tackle these."