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Monday 28 Sep 2015

Shops to make way for a brighter, more spacious concourse at Leeds station

Region & Route:

| Eastern

Leeds station users can look forward to a brighter future as Network Rail prepares to increase the space in the main passenger concourse.

The three retail units next to the exit on to New Station Street, currently occupied by Burger King, Paperchase and Journeys Friend, will all be demolished to allow in more light, to create more space and to allow passengers and shoppers enter and exit the station more easily.

The shops will be closed from Monday 28 September, with work to remove them starting two weeks later. Most of the work will take place during the day with materials being removed during the night so as not to disrupt passengers. The project will last around six weeks, with the exits onto New Station Street remaining open at all times.

Helen Dawson, Network Rail's station manager for Leeds, said: “Taking away these units will allow more light into the concourse and helps take out some bottlenecks that can build up at the station doors during peak times. The space vacated by the shops will also make waiting in the concourse a more comfortable experience for those checking the timetable boards or waiting to meet friends, family and colleagues.”