Your views: Are you in favour of building three new railway stations in Leeds?

PROPOSALS to build three new railway stations in Leeds, including one near the city's airport, are proving a big talking point with readers this morning.
A new train station could be built near Leeds Bradford Airport.A new train station could be built near Leeds Bradford Airport.
A new train station could be built near Leeds Bradford Airport.

Many have welcomed the suggestion and questioned why the stations were not built years ago.

But others have said they would prefer to see problems with existing train and bus services fixed first.

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A number of readers have also expressed doubts about whether the council can deliver on such ambitious plans.

Richard Bapty: “Leeds airport has needed a train station for years, and it’s so easy to branch a line off from Horsforth station. It’s a no brainer... so long as the farmers are prepared to sell some land!”

Sam Walker: “I bet Leeds City Council will be able to spend this £270m on ‘consultants’ before a spade has entered the ground. We’ll be still talking about the missing rail link in 30 years time.”

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Karen Banks: “How about fixing the public transport we already have? I use the bus every day to get to and from work. I’m regularly waiting for buses which are timetabled but don’t arrive, are cancelled with no explanation or when they do turn up are full to bursting. When a service should be at least every 10 minutes based on the timetable why have I waited almost an hour?”

Paul Goodman: “Sounds like the station won’t actually be at the airport as per Manchester and Gatwick but will need some sort of transfer, cheap and nasty? If it were Manchester it would be proper transit system, new stations and Airport station. Someone needs to tell Government throwing money at Manchester (the North West gets the lion’s share) is not powering ‘The Northern Powerhouse!’”

Mike O’Halloran: “White Rose is a complete no brainer. A station should have been a requirement of building the shopping centre there. The line is right next to it! The airport needs a proper link too. But why are we only talking about these things now?! These discussions should have been years ago and construction started already. Ditto with the tram system we’re never going to get!”

Alastair Barrie: “Yes it’s the best way forward, the tram idea was never going to work and narrow roads such as Kirkstall are difficult to improve. Apperley Bridge station with large free car park is fantastic to get into Leeds.”

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Cheryl Fox: “Trains are too expensive most people can’t afford the fares. No guarantees of seats. Badly overcrowded on certain routes. Sort out what we have before opening more stations.”

Andrew Lawson: “This is a step in the right direction but not ambitious enough, should be a separate line to the airport, I can’t even think where a park and ride could be built as line goes into a deep cutting after Horsforth station.”

Dave Taylor: “The White Rose Centre and the airport should have had stations years ago – White Rose from being built. It’s so obvious when you look at the likes of Manchester.”

Gary Anne Peters: “Well if I’m still alive in 2035, I will look forward to seeing the front page news on the opening of the delayed station.”