The first bus station in West Yorkshire to carry the new Weaver Network branding is now taking shape in Heckmondwike.
The £10.5 million project, led by Kirklees Council in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, will deliver a modern facility with a range of upgraded features. Passengers can look forward to more stops, additional indoor seating, improved cycle parking, and accessible facilities including a Changing Places room. Sustainability has also been built into the design, with solar panels, a green roof, and landscaped communal outdoor areas. Construction began in 2024, with the new station expected to open to the public in spring 2026.
The Weaver Network, launched earlier this year, will create a unified identity across all modes of transport in West Yorkshire, helping passengers make sustainable journeys more easily, no matter how they travel around the region. The new branding will begin appearing on transport infrastructure as the Combined Authority carries out repairs, upgrades, replacements, and wider investment across the network. This approach is designed to reduce costs and prepare for the introduction of the first franchised bus services in 2027. Passengers will be kept informed throughout to ensure a smooth transition.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin, along with Kirklees councillors Moses Crook and Eric Firth, recently toured the Heckmondwike bus station construction site. They were joined by pupils from Holy Spirit Catholic Primary Academy, who had reached the finals of a drawing competition run by contractor RG Carter. As part of their visit, the schoolchildren signed a section of concrete wall that will later be covered during construction, leaving behind a small but lasting legacy within the new bus station.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire said:
“It was a pleasure to be shown around the site and see the progress being made on this fantastic new bus station for Heckmondwike. Our vision for an integrated Weaver Network, offering reliable and seamless travel whether people are travelling by bus, tram or train, includes facilities that are welcoming and accessible for all.
“By encouraging more people to use public transport we’re helping to create a greener, better-connected West Yorkshire.”
Councillor Moses Crook, Kirklees Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing and Transport said:
“This first new Weaver branded bus station gives confidence that bus franchising will soon make travelling from A to B by public transport a much more attractive, reliable and accessible option.
“It’s so much more than transport, it’s prominence within the town centre and enhancement of the public spaces and accessible facilities, will provide a place people can enjoy and relax.
“It’s paving the way for the wider regeneration plans as we invest in Heckmondwike and unlock more social and economic benefits for the community.”
Project manager David Spencer, from RG Carter said:
“We are proud to be working in partnership with Kirklees Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to deliver their vision for improved local transport.
“The site tour was a great opportunity to show the Mayor of West Yorkshire and local school pupils the progress on the new Heckmondwike Bus Hub, and to involve them in leaving their own mark on the development.
“This project will transform a vital facility, supporting both the local community and the town’s economy for years to come.”
Claire Bass, headteacher at Holy Spirit Catholic Primary Academy said:
“The children had a wonderful time on their recent visit to the Heckmondwike bus station and it was a great opportunity to see the project first hand.
“We especially liked the fact they have incorporated a living roof and solar panels into the plans as these are all great for the environment; taking care of God’s world is very important to all of us at Holy Spirit Catholic Primary Academy.
“The children enjoyed meeting the Mayor and writing on the wall in the new station, knowing that they have left their mark there forever.”
The competition, themed ‘What Community Means to Me’, was won by six-year-old Angel, who said she ‘couldn’t wait’ to see her design displayed on hoardings in the town centre.
To coincide with the visit, new visualisations have also been released, showing how the improved bus station could look once completed and branded under the Weaver Network, subject to the necessary planning approvals.
