Pressure group criticises 'endless delays' of Leeds Bradford Airport railway station plans
The Parkway Station project was first announced in 2016
A railways pressure group has criticised the “endless delays” of Leeds Bradford Airport’s railway station plan.
The British Regional Transport Association (BRTA) has sharply criticised the ongoing delays and soaring cost estimates surrounding the proposed Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway Station, branding the project a recurring exercise in wasted time and public funds.
Reacting to recent reports highlighting Leeds Bradford Airport’s frustration with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), the BRTA warns that the scheme has drifted entirely off course since it was first floated a decade ago.
First announced in 2016, the Parkway Station project carried a projected cost of £42 million by 2020. That figure has since ballooned to £65 million—with WYCA conceding that a formal business case remains two to three years away. The BRTA is questioning what the final bill for taxpayers will look like if and when construction ever begins.
Northern Coordinator for the BRTA, Chris Hyomes, said: “The latest stand-off between the airport and the Combined Authority underscores what we have argued all along: a parkway station is simply the wrong idea for Leeds Bradford Airport.
“To announce a scheme in 2016, watch estimates climb from £42 million to £65 million, and now face another two to three years just waiting for a business case is completely unacceptable.
“Passengers and taxpayers deserve better than endless administrative delays and a compromised transport link that still relies on a shuttle bus transfer. It is time to stop throwing good money after bad.”
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority are due to meet this week to discuss the next steps needed to push forward with the station.
They will hear that the suggestion is for a new station on the Harrogate line, between Horsforth Station and Bramhope Tunnel. Passengers would then travel to the airport by a shuttle bus.
The BRTA has consistently maintained that a heavy rail parkway station does not offer the seamless integration required for a major regional airport. Instead, the association advocates for the airport to be directly connected to Leeds via the proposed Leeds mass transit network (Supertram).
By making the airport branch one of the priority routes for the new light rail network, trams could run directly to the terminal doors—delivering the high-capacity, direct connectivity that a distant parkway station cannot achieve.
The BRTA is calling on the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to abandon the escalating costs and delays of the parkway station concept and refocus regional transport strategy on a modern, direct light rail solution.
A Combined Authority spokesperson said: “We are working hard to help ensure Leeds Bradford Airport Parkway Station becomes a reality in the coming years.
“Colleagues at the airport were engaged in the creation of this report, and we will continue working collaboratively with all key partners to make this project a success.”
Speaking last week, Leeds Bradford Airport chief executive Vincent Hodder said he was “flabbergasted” by the delays.
On Thursday the Combined Authority board, made up of Councillors from across the region, will be told that the lack of a nearby rail station is a “drag” on the growth of the airport.
A report to members also says the station could help with plans to develop more housing to the East of Otley. They will be asked to endorse continued development of the project.