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‘Leeds station will still be the busiest’
Wakefield Westgate new station building artist's impression
Leeds railway station will remain the busiest in the north even when a revamped Wakefield Westgate is constructed, it has been claimed.
Coun Richard Lewis, Leeds City Council’s executive member for development and the economy, says he is not worried Leeds will lose out to Wakefield.
At a meeting outlining the £6.6m project to create a new building on platform one at Wakefield Westgate, Tim Hedley-Jones, stations and property director at East Coast, suggested the changes could draw passengers away from Leeds. He said that parking space at a new multi-storey facility next to Wakefield Westgate and ease of access from the M1 could attract travellers.
The new building at Wakefield is due to be completed by 2014 and ties in with the £140m Merchant Gate development.
Coun Richard Lewis said: “Leeds rail station is the main railway hub for our region. It is the busiest station in the north of England and the third busiest in the country outside London, with 100,000 people passing through every weekday.
“It is a vital part of the city’s transport infrastucture and already enjoys excellent interchange facilities, which will improve further when the new southern entrance opens. This will transform access for passengers to the major commercial areas on the South Bank.
“Leeds City Council is working closely with Network Rail and key stakeholders in the city to improve the station’s facilities, including those for business travellers. We want to ensure that the station continues to have the capacity to meet anticipated growth in rail travel.
“We don’t regard ourselves as in competition with Wakefield. Rather, we hope the new facilities at Wakefield will improve West Yorkshire’s rail system by enhancing existing opportunities for rail travel.”
yep.businessdesk@ypn.co.uk
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
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moonshot
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 07:01 PMNot quite sure why the Director from East Coast has stuck his nose in..........stations in general all around the UK need upgrading in order to cope with continued growth. There is no competition between stations, any station is designed to serve the needs of the local area......
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