‘Great day for West Yorkshire’ as brand new bus station opens in Kirklees town
Heckmondwike bus station is the first in the new Weaver Network
It’s a “great day” for West Yorkshire, Mayor Tracy Brabin has said, as the new Heckmondwike Bus Station is officially open.
The bus station is the first in the Weaver Network – the region’s new transport network which joins together buses, trains, a future mass transit system, walking, wheeling and cycling. It offers indoor seating, new bus stands, a changing places toilet, detailed bus information, cycle parking and improvements outside the building.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Mayor Brabin said: “What a great day that Heckmondwike is the first ever Weaver bus station on our network. We’re stood here in the waiting area – previously it was four draughty spots waiting for the bus. Here it’s dry, it’s light, it’s got the real-time display, it’s got the announcements.
“Also we’ve got a green wall at the north end where you can sit and relax. We’ve also got solar panels, so the energy costs are lower. I really do think that the experience is going to be 100 times better.”
The new bus station has been a long time coming. When plans were drawn up in 2021, the project was expected to be completed by April 2024 and come in at just under £5m. Delays struck and the scheme has ended up costing £10.5m. But Mayor Brabin says she believes a lot of people will consider the project to be “worth every penny”.
She said: “While the costs have gone up, we’re obviously in circumstances where there’s international wars and inflationary pressures on the project, but I would say there will be a lot of people that will say this is worth every penny of that £10m.”
Heckmondwike Bus Station has been delivered by Kirklees Council in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).
Looking ahead, the Combined Authority will begin rolling out bus franchising from Spring 2027, delivering publicly controlled bus services across the whole of West Yorkshire by late 2028. This means that WYCA will set bus fares, routes, timetables and standards for each service within the region.
Elsewhere, two other Weaver Network bus stations are also underway in Kirklees, with work recently starting on a major refurbishment at Huddersfield Bus Station and Dewsbury Bus Station due to reopen later this year.