So the government announcement on a long-awaited station, to replace the crumbling and outdated Interchange, was welcomed locally, but left unresolved one of the city’s long-standing demands – a through railway line.
Bradford Interchange is currently a terminus, meaning trains must reverse direction to continue their journeys.
A through line would allow trains to travel directly across the city, potentially improving connections towards Leeds, Huddersfield, Manchester and beyond.
That could require a new elevated railway viaduct through part of Bradford city centre, and it is this structure that has captured Place’s imagination.
“It can’t be an Isambard Kingdom Brunel big old-fashioned thing. Let’s do something really unusual.”
Place said he was delighted that plans for a new station were progressing at the city’s preferred central location, but he believed the announcement would have been even better with a commitment to the through line.
“The icing on the cake would have been it also comes with the through line,” he said.
“The terminus, as it is now, doesn’t give us the connectivity that we need.”
At a council meeting this week, Place reinforced his commitment to pursuing that ambition.
“As far as this administration is concerned, and me personally as a leader, we are absolutely 1,000% invested in a through line and not the terminus,” he said.
“I just don’t see the point particularly in investing all this money… for a status quo.”
Further work is needed to establish whether the through line will be delivered, and no final decision has been taken on the ambitious viaduct Place envisages.
