Passengers facing festive shutdown on rail and buses

Public transport users are facing a festive shutdown of rail and bus services in West Yorkshire.

Trains in the county will grind to a complete halt from 10pm on Christmas Eve until the morning of Sunday December 27, it has been confirmed.

Buses will begin to wind down from 6pm on Christmas Eve, with no services operating after 8pm.

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The only buses on the road in Leeds on Christmas Day will be free-to-use Black Prince services running between Morley, Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s Hospital.

There is better news, however, for people who want to get out and about on Boxing Day.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) is once again funding special buses operating every half-hour between 9am and 6pm on main routes into Leeds, Wakefield, Bradford, Huddersfield, Halifax and Keighley.

WYCA transport committee chairman Coun Keith Wakefield said: “Since we started funding them in 2007, Boxing Day buses have grown in popularity with over 58,000 using last year’s services, which included more frequent journeys between Leeds and Bradford and a new service to Wetherby.

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“Services are targeted on those retail centres where there is widespread Boxing Day opening, so with the opening of [Bradford’s] Broadway centre in November the combined authority has expanded the network this year.

“These services provide a boost for the local economy and retailers and we know people find them useful for calling on family and friends and making hospital visits as well.”

Sunday bus schedules will be in force on December 27 and 28.

For more information, visit www.wymetro.com or ring MetroLine on 0113 245 7676.