That would be Stourton that in the 2014 report just linked to by Deerfold had an estimated demand of 30,000 passengers a year, scored 6.8 out of 30 in the evaluation and came 60th out of 61. Err right.
Mind you the White Rose Centre did'nt manage to do much better, coming 57th. Thorpe Park came 8th, an Airport station wasn't even considered, although Arthington Parkway came 59th.
The trouble is few of the high scoring locations were in Leeds, where the budget is to be spent.
You've answered your own question - this is Leeds City Council announcing how to spend part of the £270m budget for transport improvements in Leeds.
So the long list of stations you refer to includes a lot that are the wrong side of York (e.g. Strensall), beyond Halifax (e.g. Cornholme), on the outskirts of Barnsley (e.g. Haigh) or past Keighley (e.g. Crosshills).
If we take the view that this Leeds money needs to be spent in Leeds, then I think that the three they are proposing seem decent bets. Maybe it'd be nice to have stations at Elland/ Manningham etc, but that's not what this is about.
And, yes, the same Stourton that was planned to be a big P&R when the tram was going to run there.
There is no way that anyone is going to make a convoluted drive from Harrogate to the proposed airport station in order to park and catch a train into Leeds. Much simpler and quicker to drive straight into Leeds.
The best investment for Harrogate would be to shut the present Pannal station and build a replacement a couple of hundred yards east with direct access from the A61. Provide at least 600 car parking spaces. Ideal for commuters to Leeds/Bradford from the Harrogate area who currently have to drive all the way due to lack of parking.
Simple and quick to drive into Leeds (from Harrogate)? Maybe you know some good shortcuts and free places to park in the city? Fair enough.
But, to echo what I've said to
lejog above, if this is Leeds money to spend in Leeds then a station in suburban Harrogate isn't going to be on the agenda.
A "Cookridge" station also has the benefit of Airport links, which Pannal wouldn't provide. Plus you may have space to provide parking to attract people from Otley etc (which current constraints at Horsforth don't permit).
I think you're on the right lines here. Should have been done years ago. However they have woken up to the advantages of bus based park and ride and I read this is now proposed for Stourton. At some stage they need to up the frequency to Pontefract to 30 minute intervals which would make better use of the potential for Glasshoughton as a rail park and ride (i.e. motorists from the A1/M62 south/east)
I'd double the Pontefract service, given the chance - the current "via Castleford" service from Leeds to Wakefield/ Barnsley/ Sheffield is tediously slow and gets overtaken. Cutting it at Castleford would permit Glasshoughton/ Pontefract a second service per hour without inconveniencing many people (just the people of Normanton - but their current service takes half an hour to get to Leeds, when Normanton is only around a dozen miles as the crow flies, so maybe a stop in one of the "semi fast" Sheffield services would be more appropriate for them?).
Just thinking about a White Rose station, would there really be enough traffic to justify it? Leeds is marketing itself as a prime retail centre, and the vast majority of shoppers passing through the Leeds area would be more likely to head to the centre rather than an out of town development. And that's before you consider the difficulties of having another stop on a line already congested and due to see proper IC services again in the next couple of years. I honestly don't think there is a strong enough case there, especially given the horrific road congestion in the area.
If there's space at WRC to permit overtaking then that would be brilliant.
WRC is more than just a shopping centre (as others have pointed out) - there's a bus station with links to much of southern Leeds, there's business parks, there's potential for P&R.
White rose is more than just shops, there is a large office park and multiple light industrial businesses in the vicinity. There is also a lot of low use farm land nearby over the other side of the railway that I would expect to be built on in the coming years.
I've no idea what the station plans look like but it would be great if they could cut a straight line from Morley to cottingley with white rose on the current track and express trains been able to maintain speed through the tunnel and to Leeds on the new straight track rather than having to slow for the curve.
Agreed.
It may cost a fortune, but that curve is a real drag. Maybe with HS3...
There is a bit of me wondering if Leeds Council are looking to develop the hub and spoke model using these new railway stations to feed developments and local bus networks.
Anyone with any passing observation of buses in Leeds cannot fail to notice the buses for Capita, which I understand are heading towards the office park next to WRC.
That makes a lot of sense.