Train travel offers a practical and economical alternative to the car for many journeys, whether commuting, travelling for business or travelling for leisure.
Wakefield benefits from two train stations, each of which is easily accessible from Silkwood Gate.
Wakefield Westgate is a major station that sits on the East Coast Mainline and provides direct access to destinations including Leeds, York, Newcastle and London. It is manned and benefits from a range of facilities as would be expected at a large train station, such as ticket office, shop, cash machines and waiting facilities.
Wakefield Kirkgate is much smaller and sits on the Hallam, Pontefract and Huddersfield lines. It provides useful local inks along with occasional services to London. The station is unmanned and currently does not offer many facilities for passengers.
Both Wakefield stations fall within cycling distance of Silkwood Gate for those who would like to start their journey by bike. Alternatively, Wakefield Westgate can be accessed directly by each of the bus services that pass the site on Dewsbury Road, providing a convenient public transport link. Whilst no bus services link directly to Wakefield Kirkgate station, the FreeCityBus provides a useful link at no extra cost. Click here for further details on bus services that pass Silkwood Gate.
As a new resident at Silkwood Gate you could claim a free annual MetroCard, providing free travel on local bus and rail services for a year. Each household is able to claim either a free MetroCard OR a free bike.
Rail services in West Yorkshire are grouped around 13 lines, a map of which can be seen by clicking here. Further details on each of these lines, including timetables, can be seen on the West Yorkshire Metro website by clicking here.
By connecting with other services at stations such as Leeds it is of course possible to travel by train to a wide range of destinations both locally and nationally. The easiest way to plan a journey by train is to use one of the online rail enquiry websites, such as National Rail Enquiries. Simply select the station you wish to travel from and to, and the dates/times, and the system will not only tell you which trains you should catch, but will also tell you how much your journey will cost and then let you book your tickets.