A MUCH-NEEDED £25million train station is set to open in a pretty market town in England in the next two years.
Train journeys in West Yorkshire are set to improve when Elland Rail Station opens in 2026.
The new train station will serve Elland – a pretty market town in Yorkshire.
CGI shows exactly what the new Yorkshire-based train station could look like, with two elevated platforms with lifts, ramps and steps.
Other improvements will also be made to the surrounding area with upgrades to walking and cycling routes.
Two new pedestrian and cycle bridges will also be installed, if enough funding is acquired.
When Elland Rail Station opens in 2026, it will become an additional stop on the Calder Valley Line that connects Leeds to Hebden Bridge.
Further afield, trans will also run to other destinations like Huddersfield, Bradford and Manchester.
Earlier this year, Keltbray Infrastructure Services Limited was appointed as the contractor for the project.
Work on the multi-million pound station was set to start in 2023 with a targeted opening date of 2025; however, the project has been delayed by several factors, according to West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Calderdale Council have said the site will be surveyed in the coming months, so a detailed design can be established.
Calderdale Council is set to purchase the land needed for the development of the train station, with the site being transferred to Network Rail before construction.
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, told the Halifax Courier: “Elland Rail Station will provide a vital new link for the transport network in Calderdale, improving access to jobs, education and other opportunities.”
Located in Calderdale in West Yorkshire, Elland is home to just over 15,000 residents.
The pretty market town is also part of the Calderdale Way – a 50 mile walking route that snakes through the Yorkshire countryside.
Elland is also home to Rex Cinema, one of Britain’s oldest surviving picture houses.
There are also plenty of pubs in Elland like the Fleece Inn, a family-run 400-year-old pub with an extensive beer garden and children’s play area.
If you like shopping, you’re in luck because Elland town centre has plenty to offer shopaholics.
Elland is a 15-minute drive from Huddersfield.
The train between Stourbridge Town and Stourbridge Junction takes just three minutes and claims to be the shortest route of its kind in Europe.
The railway line stretches for a mere 0.8 miles, with tickets costing just £1.50.
Meanwhile, away from Birmingham, an urban train route in London lets passengers feeling like they’re in the driving seat.
On the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) line, passengers are able to perch on seats right at the front and look out upon the tracks as if they were in charge.
For those who like to imagine that they’re driving the trains, a new instalment could make it feel even more realistic.
Several of the trains running on the DLR lines could soon be fitted with cardboard steering wheels, allowing kids – and adults too – to act as driver.
Sun Travel's journalists have taken their fare share of train journeys on their travels and here they share their most memorable rail experiences.
Davos to Geneva, Switzerland
“After a ski holiday in Davos, I took the scenic train back to Geneva Airport. The snow-covered mountains and tiny alpine villages that we passed were so beautiful that it felt like a moving picture was playing beyond the glass.” – Caroline McGuire
Tokyo to Kyoto by Shinkansen
“Nothing quite beats the Shinkansen bullet train, one of the fastest in the world. It hardly feels like you’re whizzing along at speed until you look outside and see the trees a green blur. Make sure to book seat D or E too – as you’ll have the best view of Mount Fuji along the way.” Kara Godfrey
London to Paris by Eurostar
“Those who have never travelled on the Eurostar may wonder what’s so special about a seemingly ordinary train that takes you across the channel. You won’t have to waste a moment and can tick off all the top attractions from the Louvre to the Champs-Élysées which are both less than five kilometres from the Gare du Nord.” – Sophie Swietochowski
Glasgow to Fort William by Scotrail
“From mountain landscapes and serene lochs to the wistful moors, I spent my three-hour journey from Glasgow to Fort William gazing out the window. Sit on the left-hand side of the train for the best views overlooking Loch Lomond.” – Hope Brotherton
Beijing to Ulaanbatar
“The Trans-Mongolian Express is truly a train journey like no other. It starts amid the chaos of central Beijing before the city’s high-rises give way to crumbling ancient villages and eventually the vast vacant plains of Mongolia, via the Gobi desert. The deep orange sunset seen in the middle of the desert is among the best I’ve witnessed anywhere.” – Ryan Gray
Meanwhile, the world’s most beautiful train station is just one hour from the UK, and it is like “travelling back in time to golden age of rail”.
And a derelict train station dating back to 1881 could be transformed into a holiday park.
