Funding approved for new railway station
West Yorkshire Combined AuthorityMore funding has been secured towards a £71m project which includes a new railway station in West Yorkshire.
The long-awaited railway station in Elland, which will be added to the Calder Valley line, was originally set to open this year, but the plans have been hit by delays.
Last week West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) members approved £22m towards new walking and cycling routes connecting Elland and West Vale, part of the wider scheme.
Scott Patient, deputy leader of Calderdale Council, said it was a "significant moment" for the town which would "unlock economic growth".
He added: "Twenty years in the making and really a monumental moment for Elland, our only market town that's currently not served by a railway station."
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, who chaired the meeting, added: "Many people in Elland will be, hopefully, dancing a jig – finally, they've got their station."
According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the station is expected to cost £49m, more than double the original estimate of £20.3m.
WYCA Director Simon Pope blamed the cost increase on inflation, rising construction costs, increased development costs and more cash included to remove some elements of risk.
It is hoped the station will go into service in 2029, Pope said. WYCA said it would seek final approval for the station later this year.
Work on the walking and cycling routes will begin in June.
The money came from about £230m of investment WYCA members approved for a range of projects in Calderdale, including improving the A641 connecting Bradford and Kirklees via the Brighouse area of Calderdale, proposals to develop a business park at Clifton, also near Brighouse, and plans to add new homes, retail and leisure space to Dean Clough, a Grade II listed mill complex in Halifax town centre.
Patient said WYCA's "unprecedented investment is transforming Calderdale's towns and places".
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