00:00A multi-million pound transformation of the entrance to Leeds Station is fully complete, four years after engineering work started.
00:08The £46.1 million Leeds Station Sustainable Travel Gateway scheme, which was first due to be finished in autumn last
00:16year,
00:17includes pedestrian routes, passenger lifts and a new taxi rank, with work getting underway in 2022.
00:24The project by Leeds City Council, Network Rail and West Yorkshire Combined Authority also included maintenance work on the station's
00:33underground supporting structure.
00:35Safety hoardings at the front of the station have been removed after parts of the project opened in recent weeks.
00:41Leeds City Council leader James Lewis said one of the truest indicators of the city's ongoing growth and appeal is
00:48the ever-rising number of people using the railway station.
00:51Currently, Leeds Station handles more than 27 million passengers a year, with footfall inside the station rising 6% year
00:59on year, and it's now busier than before COVID-19.
01:03He said it's fundamental that we have a station that is not only easily able to meet current demand, but
01:09is also fit for the future,
01:11providing a welcoming gateway for the many millions of passengers travelling into the city.
01:15The West Yorkshire Combined Authority funded the project, which aims to provide easier access to the station by walking, cycling
01:22or on public transport.
01:24Last month, it was announced Leeds would get an extra £200 million to boost passenger facilities.
