WORK has begun on an £8.5 million two-month project to reconstruct Mill Lane Junction near Bradford Interchange to increase line speeds in the area. Track and signalling equipment is being replaced and the junction remodelled to ease curvature and reduce diverging movements to allow outward-bound services to gain more speed to tackle uphill gradients.

Improvements will increase line speeds for services to and from Leeds, while a third line from Halifax will increase capacity. Also, a locally called-for new station at Low Moor to serve south Bradford may become more feasible with a less tight timetable between Bradford and Halifax.  

Two weekend closures of the line this month will be followed by bus replacement of trains at Interchange station for up to nine days from 25 October. Passengers travelling between York and Blackpool North, Leeds and Huddersfield, Leeds and Manchester Victoria and Selby and Wakefield Westgate are being affected, with rail and bus replacement shuttle services provided.