By Chris Young, local democracy reporter
A long-closed railway line between Bradford and Pudsey should be brought back into use as a state-of-the-art tram route as part of West Yorkshire’s mass transit network, council chiefs in Bradford believe.
In a consultation over the proposed Bradford to Leeds tram line, Bradford Council says it would prefer a route option that would include stops in Holme Wood, Bowling Back Lane and Wakefield Road.
“Option B3” would re-use the historic Pudsey Rail route – including possibly reopening the Greenside Tunnel on part of what was known as the ‘Pudsey Loop.’
It would also support the development of the Bowling Back Lane area – including the Parry Lane Enterprise Zone, and the city centre’s “Southern Gateway.”
Trams would come into the city centre via Bridge Street, passing down Market Street and to Forster Square rail station.
Lines linking Bradford and Leeds and the North and South of Leeds are the first two routes planned for the wider West Yorkshire Mass Transit System.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority held a consultation on the potential Leeds to Bradford line this summer, revealing that they would bring back trams to the region.
There were three options for the Bradford to Leeds route. Option one would begin in the city centre then pass roughly along the Leeds Road area towards Thornbury and Stanningley and Armley.
Options two and three would see trams lines run from the city centre through Laisterdyke, the Holme Wood estate and Pudsey.
However, the options then diverge, with the second option going South East towards Wortley and the third option staying further North, passing through Bramley and Armley.
These two options re-use sections of the old Pudsey Railway Route – meaning they would require less road space.
Bradford Council has now announced that Route Three is its preferred option – and has written to WYCA saying it provides the best outcomes for Bradford.
The consultation said this option would have less impact on roads, but would require new bridges over the River Aire and Leeds Liverpool Canal on the Leeds side of the route.
It could use the Greenside Tunnel in Pudsey – a rail tunnel that was closed in the 1960s. As reported by WLD in July, the move has been broadly welcomed by volunteers from Pudsey’s Greenside Greenway group.
But it would lead to the loss of green space near Pudsey Grammar School and St Joseph’s Catholic School.
Bradford Council’s response to WYCA’s consultation says the other options were “viable but less preferred” compared to option 3.
Explaining why this was the preferred option, Bradford Council’s response to the consultation said: “The preferred route proposals use a disused railway corridor to the north of Holme Wood, a route through the Parry Lane Enterprise Zone and along Bowling Back Lane to Wakefield Road.
“It would then approach the city centre via Bridge Street and Market Street before stopping at Forster Square Station. The main positives to this route are that it directly serves the Southern Gateway area, which has been identified as a key regeneration area with potential for significant housing growth.
“It would also serve more of the city centre area with potential for stops at City Park and Bradford Interchange. It could also be adapted to take in the proposed new through station in the Southern Gateway area.
“The preferred proposed route will also serve Holme Wood, giving this area better links to Bradford and Leeds city centres. The route also allows for better separation of Mass Transit from other traffic, leading to better journey times and less congestion.”
The council’s response also emphasises that to increase overall use of public transport, Mass Transit must supplement rather than replace rail or buses.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration, planning and transport, said: “Connecting Bradford and Leeds with Mass Transit is such a huge opportunity to grow our economy and better connect our communities, not just across the district but the whole region.
“We’re working with the Combined Authority ensure the proposed Mass Transit system contributes to significant growth and regeneration in central Bradford and the Southern Gateway and that the designs take into account all the work currently being done to make our city centre more pedestrian friendly.
“Alongside the government commitment for a £2bn new Bradford rail station we now have a rare opportunity to develop a truly integrated transport hub, working across different modes of transport, with active and public transport as an attractive option for residents and visitors.
“The project should also recognise the potential for easing the housing pressure between Bradford and Leeds. Having this mass transit scheme in Bradford aligns perfectly to the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth and will help people have better access to jobs and opportunities, education and health as well as hospitality and leisure destinations.”
West Yorkshire Combined Authority will make a decision on which route to chose once all consultation responses have been studied.
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I went to St Josephs and remember trains running alongside the bottom of the playing field.*
No mention here how any tram would get from Greenside to Bramley with all the stuff that’s been built since 1965……or how it will cross Stanningley bypass!
* I remember a school trip where we all walked over to Lowtown Station and caught a Special to Belle Vue zoo! (Just a simple illustration of how in lots of similar stories the country has lost its way)