Exclusive:Work restarts at White Rose station in Leeds as contractors return to site after two-year stoppage
The site has sat dormant and untouched since March 2024
Work on the troubled White Rose railway station project in Leeds has restarted - more than two years after construction was initially halted.
The highly-anticipated station, which sits beside White Rose Business Park and within walking distance of the White Rose Shopping Centre, has sat dormant and untouched since March 2024 after a series of on-site problems, and an “unforeseen increase in project costs.”
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.
Now, the Yorkshire Evening Post can exclusively reveal, that early works have resumed at the site with activity set to ramp up in the coming weeks.
“Contractors are now back working on the White Rose station project,” a West Yorkshire Combined Authority spokesperson said.
“Early site investigation works have been taking place, with activity set to ramp up in the coming weeks.
“An update report with more detail on timescales and costs for completing the project will be brought to a Combined Authority meeting in the Autumn.”
Located on the Leeds to Huddersfield line, between Morley and Cottingley, 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.
Upon completion, the station is expected to have 19 services running throughout the day, and serve approximately 340,000 people per year.