A new platform at Bradford Forster Square station opened on 19 Mat 2025, facilitating five additional services a day between Bradford and London.
Along with improved station infrastructure, the new platform will ease congestion and increase access into the city for passengers, commuters and tourists.
The new platform was officially opened by Minister for Local Transport, Simon Lightwood MP, who said: “Thanks to £35 million of government investment, rail passengers in Bradford will now be connected to more jobs, education, and business opportunities.
“These additional services will not only create a more reliable and comfortable journey, but bring an estimated extra £4 million into the local economy each year.
“After decades of underfunding, this Government is investing in change for the people of Yorkshire by delivering the transport system they deserve.”
The new services to Bradford come at a key time as it celebrates being the UK’s City of Culture for 2025. Visitors enjoying the celebrations throughout the year will make use of the enhanced timetable, which sees the first train from London to Bradford now arrive at 09:52 compared with 19:30 previously.
The Local Transport Minister continued: “You cannot achieve real growth without the transport connectivity to support it. We have an ambitious Plan for Change that’s making a real difference for the people of West Yorkshire, evidenced by large scale projects like this one.
“The extra 1.9 million seats annually, increasing weekday services to Bradford by 250%, show that we are delivering our plan, creating more jobs and more opportunities.”
The new platform is part of the government’s wider commitment to investing in transport infrastructure across the North of England and its wider Plan for Change. The TransPennine Route Upgrade, which has benefitted from a £10 billion investment by government, will provide more capacity on faster, more reliable, greener journeys between Manchester, Leeds and York.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “There is such a positive energy in Bradford at the moment, with the recent transformation of the city centre and the series of amazing City of Culture events.
“Increasing capacity at one of West Yorkshire’s flagship city centre stations means the city can really build on this momentum.
“This will help us to create a transport system to be proud of and is vital to helping us create a more prosperous and better-connected region.”
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