Plans submitted to re-open Methley Railway Station

AN MP has submitted a 38-page proposal to re-open a railway station at Methley.
The village has been left without a rail link for the past 60 years but Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke hopes to unlock a share of the 500 million promised by the government to improve transport links.The village has been left without a rail link for the past 60 years but Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke hopes to unlock a share of the 500 million promised by the government to improve transport links.
The village has been left without a rail link for the past 60 years but Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke hopes to unlock a share of the 500 million promised by the government to improve transport links.

The village has been left without a rail link for the past 60 years but Elmet and Rothwell MP Alec Shelbrooke hopes to unlock a share of the £500 million promised by the government to improve transport links.

There have been a series of attempts to have a new stop opened in Methley, with the matter raised by Mr Shelbrooke in 2015, although funding was not available at the time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Shelbrooke set up the Methley Railway Delivery Group and a survey found that more than 93 per cent of residents supported the campaign, and nearly half of commuters said they would use it daily.

AN MP has submitted a 38-page proposal to re-open a railway station at Methley.AN MP has submitted a 38-page proposal to re-open a railway station at Methley.
AN MP has submitted a 38-page proposal to re-open a railway station at Methley.

A public meeting was held last month in which members of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which has the power to fund major initiatives, were in attendance and gave their support.

As part of the recent proposal to the Department for Transport, Mr Shelbrooke suggests a platform, complete with shelter, ticket machine and appropriate levels of parking would suffice.

At one point Methley had three stations with the last closing in 1960.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The line still runs through the village, shuttling between Leeds, Normanton and Castleford, so Mr Shelbrooke suggests a new stop is feasible.

Mr Shelbrooke said: “I have been working at full steam to submit a new station bid to the Department for Transport following a large transport survey in Methley and Mickletown.

“It’s clear that the community is behind this campaign and whilst it’s a national fund and we may not be successful on our first attempt, I’ll keep banging on doors, lobbying transport officials and speaking up for Methley until we see improvements in rail infrastructure for our area.”