Take a walk through Bradford and you’ll find traces of our industrial heritage all around the city centre. Like much of the North of England, Bradford was an important player during the Industrial Revolution, renowned for its thriving textiles industry and once known as the ‘wool capital of the world’.
Today, Bradford remains a magnificent venue for culture, history, and a unique taste of Yorkshire life. The city’s history, epitomised by its stunning Victorian architecture, is brought to life by a fantastic range of museums, galleries and theatres, allowing residents and visitors to experience world-class drama, musicals and exhibitions.
However, in past decades the North has been hampered by underinvestment, especially in transport infrastructure, which has significantly affected the ability to travel to and from cities like Bradford—did you know it’s the largest UK city without a mainline rail connection?
Launched in early 2017, the Next Stop Bradford campaign aims to help unleash Bradford’s potential by seeking to secure a new ‘high-speed’ railway station in Bradford city centre as part of Northern Powerhouse Rail.
Northern Powerhouse Rail is a major rail programme designed to transform the northern economy and meet the needs of people and businesses. Securing a Northern Powerhouse Rail station in Bradford city centre would improve journey times across the North, create quicker and easier connections to our best cultural attractions, and place Bradford at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse as a leading cultural city.
Currently, a train journey from Bradford to Leeds takes over 20 minutes, while Bradford to Manchester takes around an hour. With an NPR station in Bradford city centre, these times would be reduced dramatically—a journey to Leeds would take 7 minutes, and Manchester just 20 minutes.
New images show how Bradford Interchange and the surrounding area could be transformed by investment in an improved and expanded city centre station. The vision for the station shows a more spacious public area in front of a multi-levelled Interchange, creating an open doorway to all the fantastic attractions Bradford has to offer.
In January, Transport for the North (TfN) launched their draft Strategic Transport Plan, which outlines a 30-year vision for transport investment across the North. The Plan proposes a new Trans Pennine rail line that will connect Manchester and Leeds via Bradford.
However, the investment is not yet finalised. It’s really important that everyone who supports Bradford’s case contributes to the TfN consultation, which is happening now. By sharing why a Northern Powerhouse Rail station in Bradford city centre would be important to you, you’ll be playing an active part in helping to secure an investment in Bradford which will bring benefits for generations to come.
The public consultation will run until 17 April 2018. To take part, visit TfN’s Strategic Transport Plan page and scroll down to ‘Consultation’. Alternatively, you can send feedback by email to transportplanconsultation@ipsos-mori.com, or write to: TfN Draft Transport Plan Consultation, IPSOS Mori North, Freepost Admail 4275, Manchester M60 1HE.
The National Science and Media Museum is backing the Next Stop Bradford campaign—we believe that improving access to the city is vital in creating a strong future for Bradford’s cultural sector, enhancing the city’s status as a valuable place to live, work, invest and have fun.