Exclusive:Next stages of White Rose station construction confirmed as work back on track after two-year delay
The site has remained dormant and untouched for over two years
Work is finally moving again on Leeds’ long-awaited White Rose railway station – more than two years after its troubled construction was brought to a standstill.
Construction on the project, located between Morley and Cottingley, officially restarted over the summer.
The highly-anticipated station, which sits beside White Rose Business Park and within walking distance of the White Rose Shopping Centre, had previously sat dormant and untouched since March 2024 after a series of on-site problems, and an “unforeseen increase in project costs.”
Now, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) has confirmed work will ramp up in the coming months with early site investigation works already taking place.
A WYCA spokesperson said: “Contractors were back working on the White Rose Station over the summer, with early site investigation works taking place to determine what needs to be done to get the station finished.
“We are working with Leeds City Council to progress the highways and access works around the site as soon as possible.
“An update report with more detail on timescales and costs for completing the project will be brought to a Combined Authority meeting at a later date.”
Originally forecast to cost £26.5 million, members of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) officially approved £1.4 million of development funding at a meeting in January, clearing the way for remobilising construction.
Located on the Leeds to Huddersfield line, installation of both station platforms, including canopies and construction of the lift/stair buildings has already taken place at the site, which is estimated to be over 70 per cent complete.
Work still to be completed include external cladding, an internal fit out, mechanical and electrical works, external works and operational railway works. Highways and access work will also need to be completed before the station can be opened to the public.
An early 2027 opening has previously been earmarked as a possibility - three years after the station was originally forecast to be operational by, and five years after work first began.