Kirkstall Forge Rail Station on track to open in June

As the construction work on the new Kirkstall Forge Rail Station is largely complete, trains could start operating from the station in June.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority, together with its partners Leeds City Council, site developer CEG, train operator Northern and Network Rail, are awaiting approval from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to open the station to passengers.

Trains may start calling at Kirkstall Forge from Sunday 19 June 2016, although this date will be brought forward if it is possible to do so.

The ORR is the regulator for health and safety across the whole mainline rail network in Britain, as well as London Underground, light rail, trams and the heritage sector.

Kirkstall Forge Station will provide passengers with links to work and leisure opportunities in Leeds, as well as the wider Kirkstall Forge development.

The station will also reduce existing congestion and improve journey reliability along the A65 and electric train links replacing car journeys will help reduce harmful emissions.

Building work has started at the £400m Kirkstall Forge development, with the first building due for completion in 2017. Once complete, the 57-acre development will comprise over 1,000 new homes, 300,000 sq ft of offices, 100,000 sq ft of retail, leisure and community space and create around 2,400 new jobs.

Kirkstall Forge is the second new station to be opened recently, following Apperley Bridge in December 2015.

A new station at Low Moor, between Bradford Interchange and Halifax, is due to open later this year, while the Leeds Station Southern Entrance, which gives passengers at Leeds Station direct access to the area south of the River Aire, opened in January 2016.