Cash injection for railway stations

Better lighting, CCTV and cycling racks will be built at Dewsbury Railway Station with £77,397 in Department for Transport cash.

Batley and Mirfield stations will get 30 new parking spaces between them and improvements to ramps for better access to platforms, at a total cost of £190,000.

And 17 stations in West Yorkshire will receive a total of £300,000 for improvements to bike storage, intended to create a total of 95 new stands.

Transport minister Robert Goodwill said: “It is also important we do all we can to integrate cycling into longer journeys, and that’s why increasing facilities at rail stations is vital.”

Meanwhile, rail provider First Transpennine Express, which runs Dewsbury Railway Station, will continue to operate services until April 2016 and has agreed to more seats, better services and free wi-fi.

Rail minister Claire Perry said: “We have set out how we will transform rail services across the north over the next few years, but we are determined that passengers shouldn’t have to wait to see much-needed improvements.

“This agreement with First Transpennine Express will make a real difference to passengers, paving the way for the next franchise to further develop a railway the north of England is proud of.”