Bradford Interchange railway station
Encyclopedia
Bradford Interchange is a combined railway, coach and bus station in Bradford
, England. Designed in 1962 and hailed as a showpiece of European design, the building was opened in 1971.
. The main operators at the bus station include First West Yorkshire
, Arriva Yorkshire
and Centrebus
with other services run by Geldards Coaches
, Transdev in Keighley and TLC Travel, National Express coaches run nationwide from the station, Bharat Coaches run coach services to Derby
, Leicester
, Slough
and Southall
and Megabus
runs services to Burnley
, Halifax
, Huddersfield
, Skipton
and East Midlands Parkway railway station
(with train connections to London
St Pancras railway station
) as part of its Megabusplus service.
Local bus services run to many destinations, including Dewsbury
, Halifax
, Harrogate
, Huddersfield
, Ilkley
, Keighley
, Leeds
, Otley
and Wakefield
, as well as services within the Bradford area, such as Shipley
. A FreeCityBus service also serve the Interchange and runs to the main shopping sites of town, Bradford Forster Square railway station
and the University of Bradford
.
Here are bus services that use Bradford Interchange and their stand letter (places in bold are where services terminate):
Notes:
and is one of the two railway stations serving the city of Bradford
. The other station is Forster Square
, 10 mim walk away.
Monday to Saturday at daytime, services run every 15 minutes between the Interchange and Leeds and hourly onwards to York
and Selby
respectively. On evenings and Sundays, there is a service every 30 minutes to Leeds and usually hourly to York.
In the other direction, there is a train every 15 minutes to , with two trains an hour continuing to Manchester Victoria (one limited stop, the other serving all stations to Rochdale), one to Blackpool North
and one to Wakefield Westgate via where customers can change for Sheffield and Manchester Airport
.
Sundays, there is a service every 30 minutes to Halifax, with an hourly service on to Manchester Victoria and one train an hour alternates between Blackpool North and Huddersfield.
Because of the geography of Bradford, the station was built as a terminus. Trains have to reverse out of the station, and drivers have to change to the other end of the train.
s to run a Bradford Interchange to London service accepted by the Office of Rail Regulation
. Three trains per day operate initially, now that full approval for the service has been granted: these use Class 180
units and started running from 23 May 2010.
, a cafe and sandwich shop and a fast food outlet on the train platforms, where hot drinks are also available. Toilets are located off the main concourse.
There is also a British Transport Police
office and lost luggage desk, provided for passengers' concern and safety at the railway station, with a separate security
and lost-luggage unit for bus travellers, on the bus
concourse
. A smoking ban is observed in all parts of Bradford interchange, and CCTV
is also in operation with security officers and police regularly patrolling the station.
The railway station has 4 platforms and a short bay that was previously used for the Red Star parcels facility. Platforms 1 and 2 have a run-round facility for locomotive hauled trains (mainly freight services). The track layout and associated signalling was remodelled during the course of a week-long engineering blockade from 25 October to 3 November 2008 to permit higher speeds on both routes into the station and also allow trains to approach the station from both Leeds and Halifax simultaneously (something that was not possible with the old track configuration).
outlets. The bus and Metro office, which also deals with National Express
coach enquiries from a separate desk, is located in the central concourse. The train ticket office is next to the pedestrian entrance to the train platforms.
The original railway station, named Bradford Exchange, was opened by the joint efforts of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
and the Great Northern Railway
on 9 May 1850. In 1867, the Leeds, Bradford and Halifax Junction Railway, which had previously used Bradford Adolphus Street
, built a link to the tracks into Exchange station to join the two existing companies; Adolphus Street station was then closed to passenger use.
The station was completely rebuilt on the same site in 1880 with ten bay platforms and two arched roofs. Constructed of wrought iron
, these rested at the outer sides on plain stone walls and classical
corinthian
style columns down the middle. Glass covered the middle half and timber (inside)/ slate (outside) covered the outer quarters of each span. The four end screens were glazed in a fan pattern with decorative timber outer edging. The dimensions were a length of 450 feet (137.2 m), a width of 100 feet (30.5 m) for each arch and a height of 80 feet (24.4 m), track to apex. The station never had a formal frontage; instead, passengers entered by an opening in the northwest side.
By 1973, the station with its 10 platforms was deemed too large and was again rebuilt, this time on a different site slightly further south. The old Exchange station was demolished soon afterwards and was used for a time as a car park; the site now houses Bradford Crown Court
and is due to be developed as a 'Justice Quarter' with new Magistrates'
and Coroner's Courts. In 1977, a bus station was built alongside, and, in 1983, the station was renamed Bradford Interchange to link buses and trains in a covered environment.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the station was considered the mainline station for Bradford with express services to London King's Cross, Trans-Pennine services to Liverpool
and Newcastle
and summer Saturday services to the South-West. The Inter-city services were moved to Forster Square station
in 1992 when the line was electrified. The station also had an adjacent Red Star Parcels
terminus but, like most other mainline stations following the privatisation of British Rail
, it lost this facility during the 1990s.
The bus platforms were once more plentiful and originally featured a large 'ridge and furrow' glass roof, but it was demolished in the 1990s, following the sale of some land for an office development. The bus station was completely rebuilt in 2001.
Metro are currently considering improvements to the bus and rail platforms, including better access between facilities and pedestrian access between the bus concourse and the rail platforms, to save walking down and up the escalators.
The information displays were replaced in early 2009, following a modest facelift in autumn 2008, which included new signage and a repaint. In January 2010, automatic ticket barriers
were installed by Northern Rail.
Further improvements under the National Station Improvement Plan are proposed, which include refurbished canopies, new flooring, more lighting and CCTV, a new waiting room and extra seating.
Under network rail's 'Northern Hub' development, the reintroduction of services to Liverpool Lime Street has been announced.
and Liverpool
. Leeds recently tried to combine access to buses and trains with a small dual transport terminal, Leeds Station Interchange, but most buses from Leeds
continue to operate from the city's main bus station. The best example of integrated services, at least for the time being, is now Hull Paragon Interchange.
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
, England. Designed in 1962 and hailed as a showpiece of European design, the building was opened in 1971.
Bus station
The bus station featured a large ridge and furrow design of overall roof, which was subsequently demolished in 1999 to allow for a rebuilding of the bus station, which was opened in 2001. This was paid for partly by the sale of some adjacent land to the south of the site and some now-surplus land on the old bus station site.Bus and coach
The bus station is managed by MetroWest Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive
The West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive is the Passenger Transport Executive for the county of West Yorkshire, England. It is the executive arm of the West Yorkshire Integrated Transport Authority and was originally formed on 1 April 1974 as the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport...
. The main operators at the bus station include First West Yorkshire
First West Yorkshire
First West Yorkshire is the trading name of the four First bus companies serving the area of West Yorkshire, England. It forms part of FirstGroup, a company operating transport services across the British Isles and in North America...
, Arriva Yorkshire
Arriva Yorkshire
Arriva Yorkshire is a division of Arriva which operates bus services around West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and the southern areas of North Yorkshire in England.-History:Arriva Yorkshire was formed as a combination of mergers of previous...
and Centrebus
Centrebus Holdings
Centrebus Holdings is a bus company in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. It is a partnership between Arriva and Centrebus, created in May 2008 to purchase both K-Line Travel and Stagecoach Yorkshire's Huddersfield operations.-Stagecoach:...
with other services run by Geldards Coaches
Geldards Coaches
Geldards Coaches is a privately owned company that operates an increasing number of bus services around Leeds in West Yorkshire. It operates regular cross city urban services in Leeds on a commercial basis. A large proportion of its work is coach trips as well as private hire and school...
, Transdev in Keighley and TLC Travel, National Express coaches run nationwide from the station, Bharat Coaches run coach services to Derby
Derby
Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...
, Leicester
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
and Southall
Southall
Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Yeading, Hayes, Hanwell, Heston, Hounslow, Greenford and Northolt...
and Megabus
Megabus (United Kingdom)
Megabus is a UK coach service operated by Stagecoach Group. It started in 2003 and as of February 2010 operated 19 UK coach routes serving 41 destinations in England, Scotland and Wales. Some services link with Megatrain services which are also operated by Stagecoach...
runs services to Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
, Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, Skipton
Skipton
Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...
and East Midlands Parkway railway station
East Midlands Parkway railway station
East Midlands Parkway is a railway station located north of Ratcliffe-on-Soar on the Midland Main Line in the East Midlands of England. It provides park and ride facilities for rail passengers on the routes from Leicester to Derby and Nottingham...
(with train connections to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station
St Pancras railway station, also known as London St Pancras and since 2007 as St Pancras International, is a central London railway terminus celebrated for its Victorian architecture. The Grade I listed building stands on Euston Road in St Pancras, London Borough of Camden, between the...
) as part of its Megabusplus service.
Local bus services run to many destinations, including Dewsbury
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...
, Halifax
Halifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
, Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
, Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, Ilkley
Ilkley
Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, in the north of England. Ilkley civil parish includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding and is a ward within the metropolitan borough of Bradford. Approximately north of Bradford, the town lies mainly on the south bank of the River Wharfe...
, Keighley
Keighley
Keighley is a town and civil parish within the metropolitan borough of the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of Bradford and is at the confluence of the River Aire and the River Worth...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, Otley
Otley
-Transport:The main roads through the town are the A660 to the south east, which connects Otley to Bramhope, Adel and Leeds city centre, and the A65 to the west, which goes to Ilkley and Skipton. The A6038 heads to Guiseley, Shipley and Bradford, connecting with the A65...
and Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, as well as services within the Bradford area, such as Shipley
Shipley, West Yorkshire
Shipley is a town in West Yorkshire, England, by the River Aire and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, north of Bradford and north-west of Leeds....
. A FreeCityBus service also serve the Interchange and runs to the main shopping sites of town, Bradford Forster Square railway station
Bradford Forster Square railway station
Bradford Forster Square station is a railway station in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The majority of services to/from the station use Class 333 electrified trains operated by Northern Rail, on the Airedale Line to Skipton, the Wharfedale Line to Ilkley and the Leeds-Bradford Line to Leeds.The...
and the University of Bradford
University of Bradford
The University of Bradford is a British university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The University received its Royal Charter in 1966, making it the 40th University to be created in Britain, but its origins date back to the early 1800s...
.
Here are bus services that use Bradford Interchange and their stand letter (places in bold are where services terminate):
| No. | |Operator | |Destination | |Stand | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday-Saturday Daytime | Evenings & Sundays | |||
| BCB | First West Yorkshire | FreeCityBus | W | - |
| 72 | First West Yorkshire | Leeds City bus station via Thornbury and Armley | X | |
| 253 | Arriva Yorkshire | Wakefield via Mirfield and Dewsbury | 3 | |
| 256 | Arriva Yorkshire | Brighouse via Cleckheaton | 3 | - |
| 268 | Arriva Yorkshire | Dewsbury via Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike | M | |
| 283 | Arriva Yorkshire | Thornhill Lees via Birstall, Batley and Dewsbury | 3 | |
| 363 | First West Yorkshire | Huddersfield via Brighouse | A | |
| 425 427 |
Arriva Yorkshire | Wakefield via Morley | G | |
| 570 | First West Yorkshire | Halifax via Brighouse and Elland | J | Service 571 to Brighouse |
| 571 | First West Yorkshire | Halifax via Brighouse and Southowram | J | |
| 576 | First West Yorkshire | Halifax via Queensbury | H | |
| 606 | TLC Travel | Euroway | C | -7 |
| 606 607 |
First West Yorkshire | Holme Wood | Stops at Bridge Street | W17 |
| 607 | First West Yorkshire | Thornton | Stops at Broadway | Q |
| 610 611 612 |
First West Yorkshire | Shipley via Five Lane Ends | Stops at Hall Ings | U |
| 611 612 |
First West Yorkshire | Buttershaw via Great Horton | Stops at Market Street | H |
| 615 | First West Yorkshire | Cottingley via Allerton | Q | - |
| Eldwick via Allerton, Cottingley and Bingley | - | Q | ||
| 616 | First West Yorkshire | Bingley via Allerton and Wilsden | Q | - |
| Eldwick via Allerton, Wilsden and Bingley | - | Q | ||
| S | ||||
| Allerton via Bradford Royal Infirmary | U | |||
| 619 | First West Yorkshire | Bradford Royal Infirmary | L | - |
| 620 | First West Yorkshire | Bierley via Dudley Hill | R | Service 621 |
| Haworth Road via Bradford Royal Infirmary | V | |||
| 621 | First West Yorkshire | Bierley via Dudley Hill | Service 620 | R |
| Haworth Road via Bradford Royal Infirmary | V | |||
| 622 623 |
First West Yorkshire | Scholes via Wyke | D | Services 625 or 627 to Wyke |
| Eldwick via Shipley and Bingley | Z | Services 625 or 627 to Shipley Services 615 or 616 to Eldwick |
||
| 624 | First West Yorkshire | West Bowling | P | Service 621 to East Bowling |
| Shipley Glen via Shipley | T | Service 627 | ||
| 625 | First West Yorkshire | Brighouse via Wyke | Service 626 | D |
| Baildon via Shipley | Z | |||
| 626 | First West Yorkshire | Brighouse via Wyke | D | Service 625/627 |
| Baildon via Shipley | Z | Service 625 | ||
| 627 | First West Yorkshire | Brighouse via Wyke | Service 626 | D |
| Shipley Glen via Shipley | Service 624 | T | ||
| 628 | First West Yorkshire | Wrose via Bolton Woods | F5 | - |
| 630 | First West Yorkshire | Tyersal | C | |
| 636 637 |
First West Yorkshire | Clayton | Stops at Broadway | J |
| Bradford Moor | Stops at Hall Ings | T | ||
| 640 641 |
First West Yorkshire | Buttershaw | Stops at Bridge Street | B |
| Five Lane Ends | Stops at Hall Ings | Z | ||
| 645 | First West Yorkshire | Buttershaw via Odsal | E | |
| 649 | First West Yorkshire | Esholt via Shipley | C | - |
| 653 | TLC Travel | Otley via Shipley and Guiseley | J | Service 737 to Guiseley |
| 656 to 659 |
First West Yorkshire | Baildon Lucy Hall via Shipley | N | |
| 660 | First West Yorkshire | Saltaire via Five Lane Ends and Shipley | P | - |
| 662 | Transdev in Keighley | Keighley via Saltaire and Bingley | Y | |
| 670 | First West Yorkshire | Leeds City bus station via Greengates, Calverley and Kirkstall | K | - |
| 675 677 |
First West Yorkshire | West Bowling | N | |
| Cottingley via Bolton Woods and Shipley | T | |||
| 680 | First West Yorkshire | Smiddles Lane via Heaton | K | |
| 681 | First West Yorkshire | Halifax via Odsal and Shelf | G | Service 682 |
| 682 | First West Yorkshire | Halifax via Odsal and Shelf | Service 681 | G |
| Fagley | Services 613 or 614 | V | ||
| 696 697 |
Transdev in Keighley | Keighley via Denholme | P | |
| 698 | Transdev in Keighley | Oxenhope via Denholme | P3 | Service 697 to Cullingworth |
| 709 710 |
First West Yorkshire | Troydale via Pudsey | F4 | - |
| 711 | Geldards | White Rose Centre via Pudsey | F | - |
| 714 | First West Yorkshire | Owlcotes Centre via Thornbury | F5 | - |
| 737 | Centrebus | Harrogate via Shipley, Guiseley, Leeds Bradford Airport and Pool | C | |
| 747 | Centrebus | Leeds Bradford Airport via Greengates and Yeadon | C | |
| 845 | First West Yorkshire | Mayo Avenue | - | L |
| 846 | First West Yorkshire | Buttershaw | L | - |
| 963 | TLC Travel | Ilkley via Shipley and Guiseley | Service 653 or 737 to Guiseley | J6 |
| X6 | First West Yorkshire | Huddersfield Limited Stop via Brighouse | B | Service 363 |
| Leeds City bus station Limited Stop | X | Service 72 | ||
| X11 | First West Yorkshire | Leeds Eastgate via Pudsey | T | - |
| Coaches | National Express Bharat Coaches |
National Express and Bharat services | 1 2 |
|
| megabus | Stagecoach | Megabusplus service | 4 | |
| Some services stop not at Bradford Interchange but on nearby Hall Ings: | ||||
| 610 612 |
First West Yorkshire | Shipley via Five Lane Ends | H1 | |
| 613 614 |
First West Yorkshire | Fagley | H1 | Service 682 from Interchange |
| 636 637 |
First West Yorkshire | Bradford Moor | H2 | |
| 640 641 |
First West Yorkshire | Five Lane Ends | H4 | |
| 645 | First West Yorkshire | Greengates via Ravenscliffe | H3 | |
| 846 | First West Yorkshire | Shipley via Five Lane Ends | H2 | - |
Notes:
| 1 | Service 606 runs one Sunday journey only |
|---|---|
| 2 | Sunday daytime only |
| 3 | Peak afternoon journey only |
| 4 | Early morning journey only |
| 5 | Weekdays only |
| 6 | Evenings only |
| 7 | First's 606 and TLC's 606 two separate services |
Rail
Bradford Interchange is on the Caldervale LineCaldervale Line
The Caldervale Line is a railway route in Northern England between the cities of Leeds and Manchester as well as the seaside resort of Blackpool...
and is one of the two railway stations serving the city of Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
. The other station is Forster Square
Bradford Forster Square railway station
Bradford Forster Square station is a railway station in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The majority of services to/from the station use Class 333 electrified trains operated by Northern Rail, on the Airedale Line to Skipton, the Wharfedale Line to Ilkley and the Leeds-Bradford Line to Leeds.The...
, 10 mim walk away.
Monday to Saturday at daytime, services run every 15 minutes between the Interchange and Leeds and hourly onwards to York
York railway station
York railway station is a main-line railway station in the city of York, England. It lies on the East Coast Main Line north of London's King's Cross station towards Edinburgh's Waverley Station...
and Selby
Selby railway station
Selby railway station serves the town of Selby in North Yorkshire, England. The station is on the Hull-York Line south of York, Leeds-Hull Line east of Leeds and west of Hull....
respectively. On evenings and Sundays, there is a service every 30 minutes to Leeds and usually hourly to York.
In the other direction, there is a train every 15 minutes to , with two trains an hour continuing to Manchester Victoria (one limited stop, the other serving all stations to Rochdale), one to Blackpool North
Blackpool North railway station
Blackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....
and one to Wakefield Westgate via where customers can change for Sheffield and Manchester Airport
Manchester Airport railway station
Manchester Airport railway station is the railway station that serves Manchester Airport and is built into the airport's terminal buildings. The station was opened together with the second airport terminal in 1993.- Description:...
.
Sundays, there is a service every 30 minutes to Halifax, with an hourly service on to Manchester Victoria and one train an hour alternates between Blackpool North and Huddersfield.
Because of the geography of Bradford, the station was built as a terminus. Trains have to reverse out of the station, and drivers have to change to the other end of the train.
London services
The station now also sees regular services to London Kings Cross via Pontefract and Doncaster. In January 2009, Grand Northern (operating as Grand Central) had their application for train pathTrain path
A train path is the infrastructure capacity needed to run a train between two places over a given time-period. In Europe, a train operator needs to purchase a train path from a rail infrastructure company to run a train on their tracks....
s to run a Bradford Interchange to London service accepted by the Office of Rail Regulation
Office of Rail Regulation
The Office of Rail Regulation is a statutory board which is the combined economic and safety regulatory authority for Great Britain's railway network. It was established on 5 July 2004 by the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, replacing the Rail Regulator...
. Three trains per day operate initially, now that full approval for the service has been granted: these use Class 180
British Rail Class 180
The Class 180 is a type of British diesel multiple unit train built by Alstom between 2000 and 2001 for use on then-new express services by First Great Western . They were built at Washwood Heath in Birmingham and are part of the Coradia 1000 family along with the Class 175. FGW stopped using the...
units and started running from 23 May 2010.
Layout and facilities
The main entrance with the taxi rank and car park is on a lower level, while the train platforms and bus/coach stops are on a split upper level, both separate with pedestrian access. Downstairs, in the central concourse, there are a few shops, a newsagentNewsagent
A newsagent's shop , newsagency or newsstand is a business that sells newspapers, magazines, cigarettes, snacks and often items of local interest. In Britain and Australia, these businesses are termed newsagents...
, a cafe and sandwich shop and a fast food outlet on the train platforms, where hot drinks are also available. Toilets are located off the main concourse.
There is also a British Transport Police
British Transport Police
The British Transport Police is a special police force that polices those railways and light-rail systems in Great Britain for which it has entered into an agreement to provide such services...
office and lost luggage desk, provided for passengers' concern and safety at the railway station, with a separate security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
and lost-luggage unit for bus travellers, on the bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
concourse
Concourse
A concourse is a place where pathways or roads meet, such as in a hotel, a convention center, a railway station, an airport terminal, a hall, or other space.-Examples:Examples of concourses include:* Meeting halls* Universities* Railway stations...
. A smoking ban is observed in all parts of Bradford interchange, and CCTV
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
is also in operation with security officers and police regularly patrolling the station.
The railway station has 4 platforms and a short bay that was previously used for the Red Star parcels facility. Platforms 1 and 2 have a run-round facility for locomotive hauled trains (mainly freight services). The track layout and associated signalling was remodelled during the course of a week-long engineering blockade from 25 October to 3 November 2008 to permit higher speeds on both routes into the station and also allow trains to approach the station from both Leeds and Halifax simultaneously (something that was not possible with the old track configuration).
Ticket offices
Bradford Interchange has separate bus and train ticketTicket (admission)
A ticket is a voucher that indicates that one has paid for admission to an event or establishment such as a theatre, movie theater, amusement park, zoo, museum, concert, or other attraction, or permission to travel on a vehicle such as an airliner, train, bus, or boat, typically because one has...
outlets. The bus and Metro office, which also deals with National Express
National Express
National Express Coaches, more commonly known as National Express, is a brand and company, owned by the National Express Group, under which the majority of long distance bus and coach services in Great Britain are operated,...
coach enquiries from a separate desk, is located in the central concourse. The train ticket office is next to the pedestrian entrance to the train platforms.
History
Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway was a major British railway company before the 1923 Grouping. It was incorporated in 1847 from an amalgamation of several existing railways...
and the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....
on 9 May 1850. In 1867, the Leeds, Bradford and Halifax Junction Railway, which had previously used Bradford Adolphus Street
Bradford Adolphus Street railway station
Bradford Adolphus Street railway station is a closed station in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England.-History:When the Leeds, Bradford and Halifax Junction Railway arrived in Bradford they initially built a terminus at Adolphus Street...
, built a link to the tracks into Exchange station to join the two existing companies; Adolphus Street station was then closed to passenger use.
The station was completely rebuilt on the same site in 1880 with ten bay platforms and two arched roofs. Constructed of wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
, these rested at the outer sides on plain stone walls and classical
Classical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
style columns down the middle. Glass covered the middle half and timber (inside)/ slate (outside) covered the outer quarters of each span. The four end screens were glazed in a fan pattern with decorative timber outer edging. The dimensions were a length of 450 feet (137.2 m), a width of 100 feet (30.5 m) for each arch and a height of 80 feet (24.4 m), track to apex. The station never had a formal frontage; instead, passengers entered by an opening in the northwest side.
By 1973, the station with its 10 platforms was deemed too large and was again rebuilt, this time on a different site slightly further south. The old Exchange station was demolished soon afterwards and was used for a time as a car park; the site now houses Bradford Crown Court
Crown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
and is due to be developed as a 'Justice Quarter' with new Magistrates'
Magistrates' Court
A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
and Coroner's Courts. In 1977, a bus station was built alongside, and, in 1983, the station was renamed Bradford Interchange to link buses and trains in a covered environment.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the station was considered the mainline station for Bradford with express services to London King's Cross, Trans-Pennine services to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
and summer Saturday services to the South-West. The Inter-city services were moved to Forster Square station
Bradford Forster Square railway station
Bradford Forster Square station is a railway station in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The majority of services to/from the station use Class 333 electrified trains operated by Northern Rail, on the Airedale Line to Skipton, the Wharfedale Line to Ilkley and the Leeds-Bradford Line to Leeds.The...
in 1992 when the line was electrified. The station also had an adjacent Red Star Parcels
Red Star Parcels
Red Star Parcels was a service which utilised passenger trains for transporting parcels between passenger railway stations throughout the United Kingdom, owned and operated by British Rail. It was introduced experimentally on 1 April 1963. Senders could despatch their consignments to a number of...
terminus but, like most other mainline stations following the privatisation of British Rail
Privatisation of British Rail
The privatisation of British Rail was set in motion when the Conservative government enacted, on 19 January 1993, the British Coal and British Rail Act 1993 . This enabled the relevant Secretary of State to issue directions to the relevant Board...
, it lost this facility during the 1990s.
Ongoing improvements
The railway station has not seen significant improvements in many years.The bus platforms were once more plentiful and originally featured a large 'ridge and furrow' glass roof, but it was demolished in the 1990s, following the sale of some land for an office development. The bus station was completely rebuilt in 2001.
Metro are currently considering improvements to the bus and rail platforms, including better access between facilities and pedestrian access between the bus concourse and the rail platforms, to save walking down and up the escalators.
The information displays were replaced in early 2009, following a modest facelift in autumn 2008, which included new signage and a repaint. In January 2010, automatic ticket barriers
Turnstile
A turnstile, also called a baffle gate, is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. It can also be made so as to enforce one-way traffic of people, and in addition, it can restrict passage only to people who insert a coin, a ticket, a pass, or similar...
were installed by Northern Rail.
Further improvements under the National Station Improvement Plan are proposed, which include refurbished canopies, new flooring, more lighting and CCTV, a new waiting room and extra seating.
Under network rail's 'Northern Hub' development, the reintroduction of services to Liverpool Lime Street has been announced.
Other interchanges
With the option to combine bus and rail transport, Bradford Interchange allows a flexibility in public transport not experienced in many other major Northern cities such as ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. Leeds recently tried to combine access to buses and trains with a small dual transport terminal, Leeds Station Interchange, but most buses from Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
continue to operate from the city's main bus station. The best example of integrated services, at least for the time being, is now Hull Paragon Interchange.