Leeds station is to receive a further £200m in government funding for a major upgrade, taking the total investment to £303m, with work due to be completed by 2030.
image: Network Rail
The funding, confirmed in the Budget, will support improvements intended to reduce congestion, increase passenger capacity and improve connections between the station and Leeds city centre.
The scheme includes a new central overbridge, three additional entrances, expanded concourse space and an extension to platform 14. The number of ticket barriers is expected to increase by almost 40%, while additional lift capacity is planned to improve accessibility and passenger movement through the station.
The new entrances will improve access to the city’s South Bank, the Dark Arches and Princes Square, areas where development and regeneration plans are expected to increase demand for transport.
Leeds station currently handles more than 27m passengers a year, with eight in 10 rail services in West Yorkshire starting or terminating there. Passenger numbers are forecast to increase by almost 12m annually by 2043, according to the Department for Transport (DfT).
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said the investment would modernise the station and prepare it for future passenger demand. West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin said the improvements would provide additional capacity for the region’s transport network and support connections to employment and education.
The project complements the £11bn Transpennine Route Upgrade, which is upgrading railway infrastructure across the North, including electrification and improvements designed to increase passenger capacity by 30%. Leeds station will also be an important part of the proposed Northern Powerhouse Rail network, which aims to provide more frequent services between major northern cities.
The announcement follows the government’s confirmation of a new station at Bradford Interchange. The DfT said the Bradford project, alongside the proposed West Yorkshire Mass Transit system, could support thousands of new homes and jobs and generate up to £1bn in economic benefits.
The government says the combination of station upgrades, improved rail services and better links to city centres will support economic development across West Yorkshire.
The latest funding announcement brings the total allocated to the Leeds station upgrade to £303m. The government has set 2030 as the target for delivery of the improvements.