Passengers using Bradford Forster Square station are now once again able to make use of the station’s lift.

The lift was damaged during storms in April of this year, and had been deemed unsafe to use.

For the past few months, passengers needing step-free access to platforms have been required to enter the station at Cheapside, located past the station arches, rather than at the Manor Row entrance.

Water leaks as a result of the storm meant that new ropes, pulleys and doors have had to be installed in order to return the lift to working order.

Network Rail brought in a specialist contractor to carry out the works and complete all safety checks.

The opening of the lift is expected to be well received by passengers, as the Manor Row entrance is more convenient for those coming from the city centre.

Bradford Forster Square station is also set to have several key improvement projects take place over the coming year.

These are due to a £24 million investment from the government. The money is being used to build a new platform and carry out other key upgrades, all designed to reduce congestion and improve accessibility.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is also continuing to push for further improvements to be made in the region, including the construction of a through station in Bradford.

This turned out to be a much bigger repair than first met the eye – the rain-soaked lift needed major work to get it back up and running and I want to express my sincere thanks to passengers for their patience while we’ve been on site.

This is an exciting time for Bradford, particularly as we build to 2025 and the introduction of the new platform, so to have the station back to full accessibility is something we’re pleased about.

Richard Scrivener, asset engineer for Network Rail’s North and East route