The Anonymous Widower

WYCA To Discuss Latest Plans For £24.2m White Rose Rail Station

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.

I briefly commented on this proposed station in Is There Going To Be Full Electrification Between Leeds And Huddersfield?, where I said this.

White Rose Station

There are plans to build a new White Rose station in the next couple of years at the White Rose Centre..

This would be between Morley and Cottingley stations.

This station will surely increase the passenger numbers on the Huddersfield Line.

This Google Map shows the White Rose Centre.

The Huddersfield Line runs North-South alongside the Centre and there must be plenty of space for a new White Rose station.

From Wikipedia and other sources, the following seems to be on the agenda for the station.

• Two platforms.
• Ability to take six-car trains, with a possibility to extend to eight-cars.
• Two trains per hour (tph) in both directions.
• Up to 340,000 passengers per year.

These are my thoughts.

Will White Rose Station Be Electrified?

The Rail Technology Magazine article has a visualisation of the new White Road station and very swish it looks too!

But it doesn’t show any electrification through the station.

This document on the Network Rail web site is entitled Overhead Line Electrification – Huddersfield to Westtown (Dewsbury).

This is the first paragraph.

We’re proposing to electrify the railway between Huddersfield and Westtown (Dewsbury) – and right through to Leeds.

This will enable train operators to use electric – or bi-mode (hybrid) trains – along this section of the route.

I am pretty certain, this paragraph can be interpreted, as saying that Leeds and Huddersfield will be connected by a fully-electrified railway.

This Google Map shows the current Ravensthorpe station, where the line to and from Wakefield joins the Huddersfield and Leeds Line.

This document on the Network Rail web site is entitled Scheme Proposals – Huddersfield to Westtown (Dewsbury).

It indicates that the triangle of land between the two lines will be used for a sub-station to provide power for the electrification.

It says this.

We propose to build an electricity substation within the Ravensthorpe and Westtown area, to provide power for the electrification of the railway (known as traction power). To facilitate this work, a temporary construction compound which will provide essential welfare facilities for staff will be established in an area of land occupying the current landfill site to the east of Ravensthorpe Station. Access to the facilities will be made via Forge Lane or the existing Thornhill Power Station access road. In addition, Northern Powergrid will be undertaking extensive works to their overhead network within the Ravensthorpe area.

This looks like a convenient place to build a sub-station.

• Northern Powergrid would be able to combine one of their projects, with one for Network Rail.
• It looks like the location of the sub-station gives both good road and rail access.

It would also be ideal to provide power to the line to Wakefield Kirkgate station, which is only ten miles away.

Services At White Rose Station

Currently, the following services would appear to go through the site of White Rose station.

• Northern Trains – Wigan Wallgate and Leeds
• TransPennine Express – Huddersfield and Leeds
• TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh
• TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough
• TransPennine Express – Manchester Airport and Newcastle
• TransPennine Express – Manchester Airport and Redcar Central
• TransPennine Express – Manchester Piccadilly and Hull

Note.

1. All services are one tph.
2. The first two services are stopping services, that stop at the two stations, that will be either side of White Rose station; Cottingley and Morley.
3. Dewsbury station, which will be three stations away, has a service of three tph.

There may also be an LNER service between London and Huddersfield via Leeds, which might go through White Rose station.

When sources like Wikipedia, say the station will get two tph, they are probably basing this on the two stopping services.

Does White Rose Station Need A Direct Manchester Airport Service?

I think if the station becomes important, it will certainly need a direct service to Manchester Airport.

If one of TransPennine’s Manchester Airport services stopped at White Rose station it would give a direct fast hourly service to Manchester Airport.

• It would take about eighty minutes on current timings.
• In addition the service would call at Manchester Piccadilly, Leeds and York.

In my view it would be a very useful service.

Does White Rose Station Need A Direct London Service?

The reasoning for Manchester Airport, would probably apply to London.

Consider.

• Leeds currently has a two tph LNER service to London.
• I believe that LNER’s Leeds and London service could be uprated to three tph.
• Huddersfield should be getting a daily service or perhaps better to London.
• White Rose station is only planned to have a two tph service to Leeds.

I think there is scope to improve the service between White Rose and London.

• Stopping services between Leeds and Huddersfield should connect conveniently with the London trains at Leeds.
• If a third tph between Leeds and Huddersfield stopped at White Rose, that might help.
• Perhaps, some or all services between Huddersfield and London, should stop at White Rose.

It would all depend on the needs of passengers, once the station opened.

White Rose Station And Elland Road Stadium

This Google Map shows the distance between the White Rose Centre and Elland Road stadium.

Note.

1. Elland Road stadium is in the North-East of the map
2. The White Rose Shopping Centre is towards the South of the map.
3. The Huddersfield Line runs down the Western side of the White Rose shopping centre.
4. Cottingley station in North-West corner of the map is the nearest station to Elland Road stadium.
5. I estimate it is about a mile-and-a-half walk, which is typical for many football grounds.

Would it be sensible on match days to run longer trains to White Rose station?

I also feel, that thought be given to the walking route between White Rose Station and Elland Road Stadium.

Would it also be better, if the new station was towards the North of the shopping centre?

Platform Length At White Rose Station

Platform length at White Rose station is stated that it will initially take six-car trains, with a possibility to extend to eight-cars.

Consider the lengths of trains likely to call at White Rose station.

• Three-car Class 185 trains are 71.3 metres.
• Three-car Class 195 trains are 71.4 metres.
• Three-car Class 331 trains are 71.4 metres.
• Four-car Class 331 trains are 94.5 metres.
• Five-car Class 802 trains are 130 metres.
• A Class 68 locomotive and five Mark 5 coaches are  131 metres

To handle pairs of three-car Class 185, Class 195 and Class 331 trains, it looks like 150 metre long platforms will be needed.

But to handle pairs of four-car  Class 195 and Class 331 trains, it looks like 200 metre long platforms will be needed.

I suspect that because of the proximity of Elland Road and there is a lot of shopping in the build up to Christmas, that a thorough analysis of platform length should be done, before White Rose station is built.

Will A Cross-Leeds Service Serve White Rose Station?

If you look at Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle, suburban lines fan out all around the city.

If you look at Leeds, you find the following routes.

• Bradford – West – Electrified
• Harrogate -North – No Electrification
• Dewsbury and Huddersfield – South-West – Electrification planned
• Ilkley – North – Electrified
• Skipton – North-West – Electrified
• Wakefield – South-East – Electrified
• York and Selby – North-East and East – No Electrification

It appears to me, that the suburban routes are better on the Western side of the City, with more electrification in operation or planned.

The planned electrification between Leeds and Huddersfield via White Rose station can only make matters more uneven.

The Rail Technology Magazine article also says this.

The Investment Committee will also consider plans for a new £31.9m parkway rail station at Thorpe Park on the Leeds to York section of the Transpennine route.

Wikipedia says that proposed Thorpe Park station, will be built on the Selby Line to the East of Leeds, in the Thorpe Park are of the city. Wikipedia also says this about the operation of the station.

It would be served by trains from the west of Leeds which would normally terminate at Leeds station; by continuing eastwards to this station, it is hoped that extra capacity for through trains would be created at Leeds. The station would also form the first phase of electrifying the railway line to the east of Leeds. As a parkway station (an early name was East Leeds Parkway), the intention would be to allow for a park-and-ride service and the plans include parking for 500 cars.

This Google Map shows the area where the station could be built.

Note.

1. The Selby Line curving across the Northern side of the map.
2. Cross Gates station is the next station to the West.
3. Going East on the Selby Line, you pass through Garforth, East Garforth and Micklefield stations before the line divides for York to the North and Selby and Hull to the East.
4. The M1 Motorway passing to the East of Leeds.

Other features of the proposed station and the area include.

• Wikipedia says that the station will have two island platforms and the ability to handle inter-city trains.
• The route through the station would be electrified.
• High Speed Two could be routed to go close to the station.

Currently, the following services would appear to go through the site of Thorpe Park station.

• CrossCountry – Plymouth and Edinburgh/Glasgow
• LNER – Leeds and Edinburgh
• Northern Trains – Blackpool North and York
• Northern Trains – Halifax and Hull
• Northern Trains – Leeds and York
• TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Edinburgh
• TransPennine Express – Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough
• TransPennine Express – Manchester Airport and Newcastle
• TransPennine Express – Manchester Airport and Redcar Central
• TransPennine Express – Manchester Piccadilly and Hull

Note.

1. Most of these trains are one tph.
2. I believe that LNER, when they get extra paths on the East Coast Main Line, could run a London, Leeds and Edinburgh service to increase frequency to the two Northern destinations to three tph.
3. All the TransPennine Express services will pass through White Rose, Leeds and Thorpe Park stations.

I can see a high-capacity Leeds Crossrail service emerging.

These could be some example frequencies.

• Leeds and York – 6 tph
• Leeds and Thorpe Park – 10 tph
• Leeds and Hull – 2 tph
• Leeds and Huddersfield – 6 tph
• Leeds and Manchester Victoria/Piccadilly – 6 tph
• Leeds and Manchester Airport – 2 tph
• Leeds and White Rose – 4 tph

A four-track electrified route could be developed through Leeds station.

Are Two Platforms Enough At White Rose Station?

Superficially White Rose and Thorpe Park stations seem aimed at similar purposes in different parts of Leeds.

But White Rose station will only have two platforms and it appears that Thorpe Park could have four.

So does White Rose station need more platforms?

Conclusion

White Rose and Thorpe Park stations could be the start of something very big in Leeds.

February 2, 2021 Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Class 185 Train, Class 195 Train, Class 331 Train, Huddersfield Line, Leeds, Leeds Station, LNER, Thorpe Park Station, TransPennine Express, White Rose Station | 3 Comments