Kirkstall Forge Station: April/May opening mooted

A meeting will today hear an update on the delayed new Kirkstall Forge Station.

Members of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Leeds district committee will this morning receive a report updating them of progress on work on the station, which forms the first part of the multi-million pound Kirkstall Forge scheme.

The report says work on the station is now complete. It adds:

“Construction of Kirkstall Forge station is complete and the access road to it is due for completion before the end of April. The station will be served hourly by Ilkley/Leeds trains with additional Airedale line peak hour trains.

“The technical process to gain approval from the Office of Rail and Road to open and operate the station is underway and approval is expected in April.”

It’s understood the station is expected to be open between late April to mid May, although an exact date is still to be officially confirmed.

The station had been expected to be complete by winter 2015, then by Easter. But a number of delays – including the final supply of permanent power and telecommunications – pushed the opening back.

On 29 May 2014 the Department for Transport committed £9.5 million of a total of £16 million towards the Leeds Rail Growth scheme which includes both Kirkstall Forge and Apperley Bridge stations.

The main works began in November 2014, with the principal contractor I&H Brown starting works on the site.

Thanks go to Trundleage.co.uk for the original information.