Castleford Improvement (16)

Castleford railway station £2.8 million transformation now complete

A project to significantly improve Castleford railway station and provide a more attractive and welcoming gateway to the town has been completed.

The improvements include better connections to the town centre and improved facilities in a new station building and have been delivered by a partnership of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Northern, Network Rail and Wakefield Council.

Improved Passenger Experience

Passengers can now make use of high-quality waiting facilities in the new station building, which comprises a ticket vending machine, new seating area, a disabled toilet, and information and retail facilities.

The car park has been refurbished and includes 65 parking spaces (including 3 blue badge spaces), CCTV, and lighting, and an improved layout to allow for easier pedestrian, cycle, and non-motorised access. There is also sheltered cycle parking, accommodating up to 10 bikes, outside the station building.

Better Links

To create a more attractive link between the rail station and residential areas in the south of Castleford town centre, the footway in the subway underpass has been resurfaced, and wall cladding, lightning and CCTV added.

New footway treatments, landscaping and signage have been added to the areas around the station and on key walking routes between the railway station, town centre and the bus station.

Funded through investment from the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, the £2.8 Million Castleford Rail Station Gateway scheme is a joint West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Northern, Network Rail and Wakefield Council initiative.

The West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund is supported through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of Government investment delivered in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

Cllr Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said:

“With over half a million people using it each year and that number forecast to grow, Castleford station is a key gateway to the town.

“With its improved passenger facilities and better links with the town centre and the nearby bus station, which the Combined Authority completely rebuilt in 2016, this joint scheme has turned Castleford Rail Station into the welcoming gateway the town deserves.

“Improving the station and the spaces for people to park and ride by train will also help to reduce the damaging economic and environmental costs of congestion in our towns and cities.”

Cllr Denise Jeffery, Leader of Wakefield Council, said:

“The station is hugely important for Castleford and this investment will provide the gateway the town deserves along with better facilities for passengers that will encourage more people to use the rail network.

“I am pleased that working with our partners we have been able to secure funding and deliver this project that provides a fitting gateway to the town.”

Matt Rice, Route Director for Network Rail’s North and East Route, said:

“We are really happy to have been involved in this project as it will make a huge difference to passengers.

“The new station building provides much needed facilities and will make travelling to and from Castleford more enjoyable, as well as more comfortable, and we look forward to passengers reaping the benefits.”

Tony Baxter, Regional Director at Northern, said:

“Our customers will see big improvements at Castleford station and it now offers so much more to the community.

“I am confident that the significant improvements made at Castleford will help to enhance the overall experience for passengers – whether that’s buying a ticket, waiting for a train or getting information about our services.”

“The refurbishment is part of a larger programme taking place across our network which includes installing more CCTV, switching to energy-saving LED bulbs in all stations and improving accessibility for all our customers.”