Station Gateway opens: £46.1m transformation provides improved access for everyone

Delivered by Leeds City Council on behalf of Network Rail, in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, the £46.1m scheme was delivered in tandem with essential maintenance to the station’s underground supporting structure.

Enabling works for the combined projects got underway in 2022, and the physical engineering works started in May 2023. Combining the projects represented a significant feat of engineering, ensuring value for money and reducing long-term disruption for passengers and the city compared to delivering the schemes separately and at different times.

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.”

The Combined Authority funded the scheme, which aims to make it easier for people to walk, cycle and use public transport.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said:

“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, said:

"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.

More information and images will be published on the scheme's dedicated webpage.

Image 1: The new taxi rank on Bishopgate Street, leading to the steps between Bishopgate Street and New Station Street.

Image 2: A view of the pedestrianised New Station Street, including additional and improved seating. 

Image 3: An aerial shot of the new taxi rank on Bishopgate Street, the steps between Bishopgate Street and New Station Street, and the two large passenger lifts which provide step-free access between the pedestrianised space on New Station Street and the taxi rank on Bishopgate Street.