Something needs to be done about the Wakey Arms down there aswell. Looks a right mess, not a good welcome to the city for anybody getting off the train.

long over due

Still not as in dire need as changing as Ponte and Cas stations. But hey ho, we get forgotten about over this side of the district.

what like your bridge to cross the river

About the only investment Cas has seen and it wasn't funded entirely by WMDC.

What does Cas want with a new train station? To impress the hordes of flocking tourists? To seduce the army of shoppers that come for miles around to shop in Cas town centre?

Cas is a long way down on a list of places that need a new train station.

But back on topic...

It is great news they are getting it sorted out, would hate to be a young lass having to wait any longer than a few minutes at that station at present.

If you think Cas is a long way down then you've obviously not visited recently.

Alright then Mr pedantic, it's a very, very, very long way down

Happy now?

WMDC aren't entirely paying for Kirkgate station either, in fact much less than 10% of the cost is coming from them. The majority of of £3m funding has come through Network Rail and grants that they receive from central government.

For Christ's sake get a fish to go with the massive chip will ya ?

I wasn't actually implying that to be honest. It was more a case of the fact that Cas and Ponte are both struggling and in dire need of more than a touch up.

Aren't we all!!

Of course Cas Station needs a massive re-vamp. Don't you know that visitor numbers will increase ten fold when the new £150m supermarket opens on Weldon Road

I don't imagine those pesky facts will get in the way when some of our neighbours decide to cry neglect.

It's about time the station was revived - it falls in step with the way that the city centre has expanded in that direction and will service the world famous, award winning Hepworth Gallery; it may also act as a catalyst for further positive development of that part of Wakefield.

Thinking further ahead, when NM gets the go-ahead and BV is vacated, the BoI will sell the land to a property developer and a load more housing will appear in Agbrigg; the transport infrastructure will need to be expanded to cope with those additional people.

A few years back after a night out in Leeds I caught the train home and ended up at Kirkgate Station fairly late on. As I got off the train I heard a bit of a commotion going off down in the subway so instead of going through the underpass I legged it over the track. Once over the other side I had a little peak down the ramp to see what the fuss was and in turned out to be a tramp arguing with himself.

As others have said this is long over due, the last face lift must have been in the 1800's. It could be a magnificent gateway to Wakefield and its a far more interesting building than Westgate. Get a hotel there and a pub and hopefully that will ensure more people are milling around the area rather than it being a desserted haven for rapists, druggies and muggers.

Can't come soon enough. Getting off at Kirkgate gives a shocking first impression of the city.

The pub either needs bulldozing and landscaping or turning into a good real ale pub that could add to the many railway based pub crawls that run around the area.

good idea KSC, i know there is fernandes up the road, but a good pub of the ilk you suggest would be great down there.

City regeneration works like dot to dot. At the moment there is plenty going on at the 'dots' of the Hepworth Gallery and Fernandes but not much going on in-between. A couple more dots of interest (Revamped station and quality real ale emporium) between these two would improve the Kirkgate area no end and go towards tying the Hepworth and city centre together.

Looking at the state of the Wakefield Arms from 2009 though, I wish nothing more than good luck to anyone willing enough to take on the project!

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Hell, they must be in a state if they're worse than Kirkgate!

How terrible it looks, the Wakefield Arms used to be the post match destination of the Wakefield Trinity 1st team during the 80s. I can't even place some of the rooms in those pictures it's o badly destroyed inside.

It's a real shame, the state it's in. Always thought it was quite an attractive building, from the outside. It'll cost a bob or two to put that right, but hopefully someone will step in.

Yes and the Wakefield arms is a listed building aparently! Such a shame that a old building is listed but nobody is willing to do it up because of cost so it is just left to rot and ends up a eyesore, so the listing is pointless!

I wouldn't put it past Ossett Breweries to step in; they seem to be taking over the world at the moment and if there's a chance that a mini regeneration could be kickstarted due to the train station makeover, they might well see an opportunity.

It would be good to see a properly restored Wakefield Arms, full of commuters and perhaps a smattering of pale and interesting arty types, over from the Hepworth for a goats cheese and rocket bruschetta and a half of real ale.

Good link to a video showing the ABC cinema at the bottom of that other link as well.

The costs to do these places up must be horrendous, to the point where its got to be cheaper to knock it down and start again, listed or not.

not sure it it is that premise but I seem to think that was the pub where Portland cement was invented. I think there is a blue plaque on the wall. Perhaps why its listed.