Wednesday 12th June 2024
Another location I visited on my Rail Rover wanderings last week was the site of the new railway station being built in south Leeds called White Rose.
Well, I say “visited … the site” but that’s not strictly true as the station is located at the back of White Rose Park – an office park with security controlled barriers at the entrances.
Also, when I say “being built” that’s not true either as all construction work stopped in March due to “an unforeseen increase in project costs”.
I’ll start this blog again.
Another location I attempted to visit on my Rail Rover wanderings last week was a security controlled office park in south Leeds where the new railway station called White Rose was being built until all construction work was halted in March due to “an unforeseen increase in project costs”.
Here’s a map showing its location alongside Dewsbury Road in more detail.
Online aerial photographs show extensive construction work has largely been completed including both platforms and two huge lift shafts with link bridges to take passengers from ground level up to the railway line which is high up at this point forming a huge embankment behind the White Rose office park and the large shopping centre next door called White Rose Centre.
The image below shows the lift shaft on the northern side of the railway giving access to and from Daisy Hill Park.
Construction began in March 2022 with the new station originally scheduled to open towards the end of 2023 with a budget set at £26.5 million. £5 million from the Leeds Public Transport Investment Programme, £5million from the last Government’s New Stations Fund and up to £12 million from the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund as well as a financial contribution from Munroe K, owners of White Rose Park.
Due to delays, the opening was put back to earlier this year and now, with all construction work stopped, there’s currently no revised opening date.
Despite the security I managed to get a few photographs including the one below which shows the huge lift shaft alongside the HSBC/First Direct offices at the back of White Rose Park together with one of the link bridges across to the westbound platform.
This photograph shows the eastern end of that westbound platform taken from Elland Road.
This photograph shows the other side of the link bridge over to the platform. The lift shaft is hidden beyond the office building.
It’s not clear the extent of the “unforeseen increase in project costs” that have seen all work cease, nor how much they’re above the £26.5 million budget. There’s also no word on how long the “temporary pause”, now in its fourth month, will continue.
The cost increases must be quite substantial to justify such a dramatic recourse of pausing all work until further notice.
Back in March it was said the pause will enable “a thorough evaluation of future funding sources to ensure the project’s successful conclusion” according to a joint statement issued by West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Network Rail, Munroe K and contractors Spencer Group. David Aspin, CEO and owner of Munroe K told The Yorkshire Post “it’s a pause to recalibrate”.
Let’s hope the “temporary pause” won’t be for too much longer nor the “unforeseen increase in costs” too extortionate so the contractor can get back on site to finish the work and get the station open, although I do wonder how successful it’s going to be once it does open.
I was a bit surprised it’s not located closer to the White Rose shopping centre rather than being behind the office park, especially as my experience of trying to wander round last Wednesday afternoon indicated security staff are suspicious of anyone doing that – I was stopped twice as I passed two different security points.
Presumably once the station does open Munroe K will implement a more relaxed policy welcoming members of the public to wander through its privately controlled thoroughfares giving access to the various office buildings, a college ….. and a railway station.
The location was chosen so it’s on a straight bit of track whereas, as you can see from the map, closer to the shopping centre the track is on a curve making it less suitable for a station.
New footpaths/cycle paths from the station to the shopping centre are apparently included in the scheme which will also connect it with the bus station, located in between the two sites, however I don’t think it’s going to be particularly convenient for shoppers, nor did I see any evidence of such footpaths under construction.
In answer to a question “will buses serve the new rail station?” in one of the earlier public engagement sessions held by West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the answer was: “development of suitable bus service provision to this station will be a continuous process throughout the development of this project. We will continue to work with Leeds City Council and bus operators to deliver the most appropriate services that meets the needs of passengers. There is also an opportunity to improve bus and rail interchange through improvements to the pedestrian walking route to the White Rose shopping centre.”
But the best bit was the concluding sentence: “the Station Developer Munroe K have made a commitment to provide an on demand bus service provision to the new station for at least the first year of service.”
No further comment on that. But it’s telling that Munroe K is given the title “Station Developer” and I can’t help thinking this whole project smacks of too much self interest.
There’s also the controversial decision following public consultation in 2022 to close Cottingley station, less than half a mile to the north. Network Rail understandably says it’s not practical to have two stations so close together on what is a busy railway line between Leeds, Dewsbury and Huddersfield on the TransPennine route which itself is currently involved in a multi million pound upgrade project.
Cottingley station doesn’t have step free access but it’s acknowledged passengers currently living close to Cottingley station (including, ironically, those moving into a new residential development being built next to the station) will face an eight minute walk to the new site along new access footpaths once they’re built. Again, I couldn’t see any evidence of these being in hand.
At the moment Cottingley is served by an hourly TransPennine Express train travelling between Hull and Manchester Piccadilly.
Blog readers may find a read of the following Q&A taken from West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s ‘Have your say on projects in West Yorkshire’ website (prior to construction commencing) illuminating….
Finally, here’s the statement issued back in March by the stakeholders addressing the need for a pause in construction. They….
“remain committed to finding a speedy solution to the present difficulties encountered and continue the progression of this critical infrastructure project. The White Rose Railway Station will not be just a transport hub; it is envisioned as a catalyst for regeneration, promising to unlock new education and employment opportunities, foster economic growth, and enhance connectivity within South Leeds and beyond. Recognising the importance of this project to the local community and economy, all parties involved have agreed that taking the time to reassess financial strategies is a prudent step forward. This pause will allow for a comprehensive review of funding options to ensure the project is delivered on the most sustainable and cost-effective basis possible. The project team is dedicated to minimising any delays, with the goal of resuming construction as swiftly as feasible.”
Munro K CEO, David Aspin added: “We understand the disappointment this news may bring, especially given the anticipation for the station’s opening. However, we firmly believe that taking this step now is in the best interest of ensuring the project’s long-term success and sustainability. Our focus remains on delivering a state-of-the-art railway station that will serve as a cornerstone for economic development in South Leeds.”
Time will tell.
Roger French
Temporary enhanced blogging timetable: 06:00 Daily.
Comments on today’s blog are welcome but please keep them relevant to the blog topic, avoid personal insults and add your name (or an identifier). Thank you.
BusAndTrainUser 
if you want accurate information don’t trust roger french trust a local like
Nigel K Thomas for 100% accurate information instead
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That’s a bit rude!
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Interesting blog Roger and also good to have local flavour from the YouTube video within the anonymous post.
It is a shame that a rail connection was not installed as part of the original White Rose development, like it was at Meadowhall. With delays come cost overruns and presumably these have exceeded any risk budget and optimism bias allowances that were part of the original approvals. Have the same change experts that South Western Railway used been employed here?
At least Cottingley has remained open.
Gareth Cheeseman
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Regardless of when it opens. That’s got to be one of the ugliest station buildings I’ve seen.
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Two new train stations on London Liverpool Street line could be built in Hertfordshire
Very speculative. Line capacity could be a problem unless the line between Cheshunt and Broxbourne is doubled. The other issue is the cost of the stations when they have to put lifts in. Turnford is quite close to Cheshunt station as well
Land in the Cheshunt and Waltham Cross areas could be safeguarded to make way for new railway stations on London Overground and Greater Anglia routes in Hertfordshire
Two new train stations could be built in Hertfordshire if plans to tighten planning policies are adopted. At a borough council cabinet meeting on Tuesday, November 7, senior councillors agreed to develop new planning rules which would pave the way for stops at Park Plaza North – between Turkey Street and Theobalds Grove London Overground stations – and Turnford on the London to Bishop’s Stortford route.
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Surely the line between Cheshunt and Broxbourne is already double tracked, indeed right out to Ely ?
Ian McNeil
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I rather like the station look, its not quite identikit. There has been massive labour and materials increases in costs for all construction works along with possible shortages of people with the right skills and this station appears more complex than many like Leven.
To me the station site does not meet the original brief – which appears a word salad of buzzwords to gain some kind of initial funding , but other than commuters (From where?) to the office park, it does not solve the problem(?) of White Rose being a mainly car use destination- though the buses are good from Leeds and places from the south too. Cottingley appears a growing settlement , which again to get to other places other than the rail line is more dependent on the car.
One really needs to look at the original planning for Leeds in the 1970s which brought forth the motorway/ringroad network and went completely against how towns organically grow leaving the residential / retail / commercial “blobs” all around the ring road while demolishing a proportion of the terraced inner city houses (thankfully not all – though warmly insulating them when they were designed for coal fires is difficult).
Leeds also has its rapid transit/tram “failures” – but does it really need them in the days of electric buses and possibility of better separated bus lanes in certain places will Leeds get its transport right for its residents and visitors needs or will it continue to build concrete steel and tarmac for the sake of it ? All rather ironic given the high grades it used to take to get to the Transport Studies Institute at Leeds University
JBC Prestatyn
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Seems a bit odd (and ugly) to build a bridge over a station on a high embankment. Presumably there were good engineering/cost reasons not to have a subway through the embankment instead, with lifts coming up to the platforms.
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A pretty poor place to have a station as it is on an embankment. To build the platforms they will need to have pile driven down to solid ground. That’s a fair cost
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Just today, on the BBC Radio Leeds news bulletin at 1pm, it was reiterated, as you have commented above, that there is still no date as to when work will recommence on the building of the station.
I doubt it will be any easier in the near future to take a peek at what’s going on behind closed gates if the management of the shopping centre is anything to go by: they don’t take kindly to people taking photographs of buses (or anything else for that matter) on the private land and you could be marched off the site or requested to delete any photographs – in their presence.
Steve Benson
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The thing is what I want to know is will quick direct access to this station from Central Beeston (Town Street, Milshaw etc) be possible via Milshaw Industrial Estate or do we have to go all the way round either via Elland Road or White Rose from the Ring Road? If so then that makes even more of a mockery about the claim locals will still have quick access to this replacement for Cottingley. At the moment, from Central Beeston it takes 15 to 20 mins to reach Cottingley station depending on where you set off from, I can see going via the Ring Road then either White Rose or Elland Road taking a good 10 mins longer!
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well I’ve just listened to Nigel K Thomas, whoever he is, and he had taken me 2.53 minutes to tell me that work has stopped, which corroborates exactly what Roger said, but Roger provided a lot of background information which was most useful. So Anonymous on 12.6,24 at 7.48am either hasn’t read what Roger wrote or was incapable of understanding simple English
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I kind of think White Rose is a metaphor for what the promised privately developed HS2 station at Euston will become. An unused building site.
MikeC
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