Campaigners call for better rail services in Pontefract and Castleford

A report compiled by the civic society in response to the government’s Integrated Rail Plan noted that Pontefract line services are the only ones in West Yorkshire to terminate at the county boundary and do not connect with anything at all.

It singled out Knottingley, claiming it was a ‘wasted opportunity for onward connection to the wider rail system’.

Society chair Paul Cartwright said: “The plan seems to concern itself mainly with the core routes and makes only passing references to the secondary routes which link into them.”

The plan outlines the need to provide alternatives to car use to meet the government’s environmental and climate change objectives.

But, said Mr Cartwright: “The lack of, and inadequacy of these secondary, supporting services works against these objectives.

“The lack of a direct link between West Yorkshire and South Humberside is a good example of this.

“The awkward indirect link via Doncaster provides every incentive to make the journey by private car.”

Ms Cooper said: “There is no sign of the improved Pontefract routes to Goole and Doncaster that we’ve been calling for for years and that are long, long overdue.

“Yorkshire already gets far too little investment compared to London and the South East and their new plans are making that even worse.”

She also highlighted the previously hourly direct link from Castleford, Normanton and Wakefield to Huddersfield.

During Covid emergency measures this was reduced to a skeletal service of one train each way morning and evening, but it will not now be reinstated.

She said: “It’s a total disgrace that our towns’ train services are being cut.

“The government has kept promising that we would be levelled up but it’s a total sham.

“Everyone understood when services were reduced due to the pandemic but it’s appalling for those services to be downgraded permanently.

“Cutting the Huddersfield Castleford trains is the opposite of all the promises we’ve been made.”

The Express has approached Northern Rail for a comment.

Cutbacks: Limited rail service is being reduced still further, says MP Yvette Cooper.

wasted opportunity: Knottingley railway station.

‘The government has kept promising that we would be levelled up but it’s a total sham’