Drivers have yet to realise that this free, 24-space car park has opened for people using Mirfield train station.
Local councillor Martyn Bolt noticed that just three drivers had parked up in the new car park on Monday. Many had parked up on the road.
He wondered whether transport bosses had forgotten to tell rail users that it was opening.
Clr Bolt said: “Has anything been done to promote it? I have sent messages to Northern Rail and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) to ask for some PR to let people know the new car park is open.”
He added: “Most people might be unaware that this car park has opened. It looks fantastic but only three cars were parked in it on Monday.”
Mirfield Station is the third busiest station in Kirklees and has the only direct link to London, with a Grand Central service to the capital. Commuters leave their cars parked down both sides of the nearby Hopton New Road, off Station Road. Yellow lines had to be installed to create ‘passing places.’
A spokesman for WYCA confirmed the car park extension had opened, taking the total number of spaces to 56, including three Blue Badge spaces.
The spokesman added: “West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s £31.5 million programme of extending rail station car parks is designed to help connect local people to jobs, training, education, services and leisure as well as reducing congestion and air pollution in major city areas.”
Clr Eric Firth, deputy chairman of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “The 24 new spaces at Mirfield are the latest part of our ambitious rail park and ride programme which has already seen 150 new, spaces at South Elmsall and Fitzwilliam rail stations.
“We have further schemes at Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Normanton, Shipley and Steeton and Silsden that could start over the next 12 to 18 months and feasibility work is being carried out on further schemes at Apperley Bridge, Ben Rhydding, Guiseley, Moorthorpe and Outwood stations.
“Our scheme have taken the total number of park and ride spaces at West Yorkshire’s stations to over 5,000 and earlier this month we agreed funding to develop up to 2,500 more spaces at 12 more.”
Investment for the Station Car Park Extensions programme is through the Combined Authority’s West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, and the Leeds City Region Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of Government investment through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.
People can find out more about West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s car park extension programme and transport projects at www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/
