Leeds station: Over 700 personal injury claims made against Network Rail as work on £46m redesign continues

Data collected by injury claim specialists Accident At Work Claim UK has revealed that Network Rail received over 700 personal injury claims as a result of accidents at Leeds City Station from 2019-2024.

A total of 657 injuries were recorded by Network Rail between January 2019 and December 2024, including 291 incidents affecting passengers. A further 192 impacted visiting members of the public, while staff were involved in 174 harmful incidents.

149 people of those injured were taken directly to hospital after an incident. While a further 153 people were treated for open wounds and 26 suffered either a fracture or a dislocation because of a train station accident.

A spokesperson for Network Rail, which manages the station, said: "Leeds station welcomed over 24 million passengers last year, with passenger incidents remaining extremely rare. The annual number of incidents represents just 0.0005 per cent of total passenger journeys.

“We continually review our safety measures and are committed to providing the safest possible environment for everyone travelling through Leeds station."

The station is currently in the midst of a £46.1 million redesign of the New Station Street entrance, designed to meet capacity demands, with the number of rail passengers using the station forecast to increase significantly.

Currently forecast to be completed by February 2026, there is no suggestion that the works themselves directly led to any injuries and Network Rail advised that year-on-year injury increases can be expected as passenger numbers return to pre-pandemic levels.

Platforms were the most common injury site, with 220 people coming to harm overall. Accident At Work Claim UK found that a further 103 people suffered harm including fractures, wounds and even a burn injury at the ticket barriers. The concourse (81 injuries), escalators (75) and stairs (67) were all prolific accident locations.

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Network Rail’s reports of each injury provides some insight into how it happened. The term “intoxicated by alcohol or drugs” appeared 72 times in reports, while “failing to see or notice a hazard” caused 47 incidents. Passengers “rushing or running” is cited 42 times in the records.

Six of the seven stations with the most injuries are London-based, according to Network Rail’s records. Leeds sits eighth in the overall list, above the likes of Edinburgh Waverley (522 injuries), Manchester Piccadilly (442) and Liverpool Lime Street (393).