"Frustration" at delays to more direct trains between Shipley and London
LNER now says it hopes to launch new connections to the capital next month
BRADFORD Council’s leader has expressed “frustration” at the delay to more direct trains to and from London stopping at Shipley.
Platforms at Shipley Rail Station have recently been extended allow extra services between Bradford and the capital – and these extra services were due to begin stopping at Shipley from late last month.
But a “technical issue” with the LNER fleet has meant those extra Shipley services have yet to begin – leading to criticism from Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe during a recent Transport Committee meeting.
LNER has told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the extra services are finally expected to come to Shipley in December – and will triple the amount of direct London services.
Earlier this year a new Platform 0 opened at Bradford Forster Square Rail Station opened in May following a £35m investment from Government.
The new platform allowed an increase in the number of direct trains between Bradford and Kings Cross from two a day to seven.
At the opening ceremony of the platform it was revealed that the new services will add around £4m a year to the local Bradford economy.
As part of the works to bring more trains to Bradford, platforms at Shipley Rail Station were extended to allow these trains to stop in the Aire Valley town.
Originally the services were due to start in early October, and work continued at pace to get the platforms ready in time for that deadline.
The new services were discussed at a meeting of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee on October 29.
A report the committee said: “The introduction of Shipley stops (seven services each way – in total) has not been possible due to a delay in obtaining the necessary platform extension permissions. As a result, the introduction has been postponed from October to October 25.”
But at the meeting the committee – made up of Councillors from across West Yorkshire, officers revealed that the start date had been pushed back yet again.
They said the delay was “out of the Authority’s hands” and that it was due to a technical issue on the fleet.
Cllr Hinchcliffe, Chair of the Committee, said: “We’ve worked really hard to make sure the platforms were ready for the October deadline.
“To find out now that the rail stock isn’t ready is very frustrating.”
A visibly annoyed Cllr Hinchcliffe added: “We need a lot more detail around this and for it to get sorted out.
“Having these extra trains will be so beneficial – the whole District will benefit.”
This week LNER – which operates the Bradford to Kings Cross Services, said the trains will finally begin stopping in Shipley in December.
A spokesperson told the LDRS: “Following the completion of extension work to platform 4 at Shipley, LNER will soon be more than tripling its service from London King’s Cross to Shipley.
“We are currently in the process of completing a technical update across the full LNER fleet which will allow all of our services from the capital to Bradford Forster Square to call at Shipley.
“We expect this to be complete in the coming weeks, with services to be introduced in December 2025.”
LNER currently operates two direct services, on Mondays to Saturdays from London King’s Cross to Bradford Forster Square that call at Shipley.
The extension work allows this to increase to seven, and from one to two on Sundays.
From December 14 the LNER Sunday service will increase to six trains per day, in each direction, as part of LNER’s “biggest timetable change in a generation.”
The report to the committee also revealed that new services between London and Braford Interchange – first mooted earlier this year.
Rail operator Grand Central had announced it planned an extra two services a day from the station to London – up from the existing four services.
But a report to the Transport Committee said: “The application for up to two additional daily Bradford–London services was unsuccessful.
“However, approval was granted for two additional weekday and Saturday services between Wakefield Kirkgate and Bradford Interchange.
“Grand Central is currently evaluating how and when to operate these; details will be confirmed once finalised.
“Realistically, the earliest possible start date for the two shorter services would be May 26.”
The LDRS has contacted Grand Central for a comment.