First look as Leeds City Station’s new entrance officially opens
Take a first look as the station steps finally open to the public
The new entrance to Leeds City Station has officially been fully opened.
Passengers will now be able to use the steps at New Station Street as work has finally been completed on the troubled £41.6m scheme. Originally slated to be complete in September 2025, the project has suffered multiple delays - including one exclusively revealed by the Yorkshire Evening Post earlier this month.
However, Leeds City Council confirmed today (November 9) that the main entrance is now fully opened. It comes after a long rumoured issue with the lifts, connecting New Station Street and Bishopgate Street, was confirmed last week but has now been resolved.
Enabling works for the combined projects got underway in 2022, and the physical engineering works started in May 2023.
Elements of the scheme, including public realm improvements to New Station Street and the pavement along Bishopgate Street, opened in recent weeks. Today, the final safety hoardings and barriers were removed after required testing of the passenger lifts between New Station Street and Bishopgate Street, and the steps between the two streets also opened.
The new taxi rank on Bishopgate Street will also come into operation today, allowing hackney carriages to pick up there as well as the current location on Princes Square at the rear of the station.
The Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor James Lewis, said: "Leeds as a city is booming, and one of the truest indicators of our ongoing growth and appeal is the ever-rising number of people using our railway station.
“Currently, Leeds Station handles more than 27 million passengers a year, with footfall inside the station rising six percent year on year and is now busier than before COVID.
“It is fundamental that we have a station that is not only easily able to meet current demand but is also fit for the future, providing a welcoming gateway for the many millions of passengers travelling into our city.
“At the same time, it is vital that our station gateway is a safer and more accessible environment for everyone who uses it. We have worked in close partnership with groups from across our city to ensure that these new facilities provide a much-improved experience which is more pedestrian-friendly and allows people to board taxis much more safely.”
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin added: “After years of complex engineering works, it’s fantastic to see this project open to the public.
“Leeds Station is the front door to West Yorkshire, and we thank people for their patience throughout this transformation, which creates a more welcoming and accessible gateway for residents, commuters and visitors.
“As rail investment continues to come to our region, this project will help people make seamless connections across our Weaver Network, supporting economic growth and creating a better-connected West Yorkshire.”
Jason Hamilton, Route Director for Network Rail North and East, explained: "Rail travel is a key driver of growth for Leeds and the wider North of England, and the completion of this really positive work opens up so much opportunity for the station and the city.
"The transformed new gateway gives commuters and visitors an improved first impression of the city and easier access to everything Leeds has to offer, paving the way for the wider transformation of the station in the years ahead.”
The recent budget also confirmed a further £200 million government investment on top of the £100m already committed to transform Leeds City Station, to provide more space, better infrastructure, improved passenger facilities, and better accessibility. The additional funding will also be used to cut congestion and boost capacity for the almost 12 million extra passengers expected to use the station by 2043.
The transformation of Leeds City Station will pave the way for phase one of Northern Powerhouse Rail, which aims to transform rail services between major Northern cities, and the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU), an £11 billion scheme to boost passenger capacity by 30% and electrify key routes across the North, supporting economic growth, new jobs and homes.