Exclusive:Leeds station £46m revamp hit by further delays - as completion date pushed back
It is now projected to begin opening in October
The opening of Leeds City Station's new entrance has been hit by more delays.
Work to the New Station Street entrance at Leeds station, is now projected to begin opening in early to mid-October - the Yorkshire Evening Post can exclusively confirm.
Originally due to be completed by September 2025, the opening was first delayed until February 2026, before being pushed to Spring 2026, then again to Summer 2026, and finally to September 2026.
The £46.1 million improvement scheme has faced a series of delays as a result of complex works.
Councillor James Lewis, Leader of Leeds City Council, said: “The station gateway scheme will create a safer and more welcoming and accessible environment for everyone using the station’s main entrance, and we have seen a real rise in the number of people catching the train to and from Leeds and the facilities need to keep pace.
“I know it’s taken time, however, Leeds City Station is built on a massive and historic set of Victorian brick arches which need maintaining and the two schemes have gone ahead together.”
Underway since May 2022, work to the new entrance is aimed at creating a safer, more accessible and more inviting space for everyone who uses it, and will help the station accommodate ever-increasing demand for rail travel in the city.
The scheme has been built at the same time as essential maintenance by Network Rail to reinforce the underground Mill Goit structure below New Station Street, which supports much of the station above it.
Combining the works has been a significant feat of engineering, which has ensured value for money and reduced disruption, compared to delivering two schemes separately.
Network Rail, as the asset owner, will take over the scheme once it is completed. However, partners are working together to negotiate the earlier opening of some elements of the scheme in advance of full completion.
“This could allow the public realm area and steps between Bishopgate Street and New Station Street to open in early to mid-October,” a council spokesperson confirmed.
“In the meantime, work is ongoing by constructor partner Balfour Beatty to install and test the lifts between New Station Street and Bishopgate Street, and the cycle hub lifts beneath the station.”
Lifts, providing step-free access between New Station Street and Bishopgate Street, are expected to open in mid-October, allowing the taxi rank to relocate to Bishopgate Street from Princes Square at the rear of the station.
The cycle hub lifts are expected to open in late October.
The entrance’s 'Welcome to Leeds' clocktower centrepiece has been the focus of much online debate in recent months, after a few eagle-eyed residents spotted a potential lettering error and alignment fault.