Not The Best City Station
The best city stations in the UK, are probably, ones like.
- Huddersfield
- Liverpool Lime Street
- London Kings Cross
- Manchester Victoria
- Sheffield
Where you exit the station on arrival and find yourself in a spacious square or area, where you can get your bearings, meet friends or catch a bus, tram or taxi.
Others are going the spacious route include.
- Birmingham New Street
- Cambridge
- Cardiff
- Glasgow Queen Street
- Newcastle
- Rochester
- Wolverhampton
London Bridge appears to be trying another route and has put the space under the station.
But some are cramped and crowded and need to be sorted.
In London, Charing Cross is hidden away just a short walk from the UK’s most famous Square.
But there are others around the country that need improvement to give more space.
- Brighton
- Coventry
- Edinburgh Waverley
- Leicester
- Middlesbrough
I also include Leeds in this group.
Despite spending a lot of money, it is a very crowded station.
The entrance to the station is small and tends to attract smokers and other undesirables despite notices.
But it is so cluttered with narrow pavements, with buses going through the station forecourt to their stops.
If ever there was a City Centre station in the UK, that needs a sort-out, it is Leeds.
- There must be a plan somewhere, but there is now a grand Southern entrance, that is tucked away without signage and can’t be used as a walk through the station, unlike the paths through Liverpool Street, Nottingham and St. Pancras.
- The station needs a proper Drop-Off entrance.
- Couldn’t the taxis go somewhere underneath the station, as this would help to free-up the front of the station.
- There are also few places to sit, where you can watch the departure boards.
- The retail outlets are poor as well, when compared to somewhere like Manchester Piccadilly.
I know Leeds is a busy station, but it is only going to get busier and it really does need a severe de-cluttering.
A Walk In Leeds City Centre
I had time to waste, so I took a walk in a wide circle around Leeds station.
I went under the railways through the station and then walked along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal towards the West. I turned North and followed the Kirkstall Viaduct, that used to take the trains into Leeds Central station.
One of the problems of this walk in Leeds, is that you might like to go through the station. But it doesn’t seem to be encouraged.
Leeds Station And The New Entrance
On my trip up to Burnley, I went up via Leeds station and because of the weather, I came back the same way.
On the way up the new southern entrance to the station wasn’t open, but it opened on Sunday morning.
Apart from a few snags, it seemed to be a great addition to the station.
This Google Map shows the new entrance under construction in the South-west corner of the station.
New Southern Entrance To Leeds Station
This image also shows the solid nature of the 2002 station roof, which is glass and not plastic like Manchester Victoria, Birmingham New Street and Crystal Palace stations.
Roof technology has moved on and I suspect costs have moved down.
One problem they may have is the shops like Boots, WH Smith and M & S are outside the barriers in the old (north) entrance.
So passengers needing these shops after entering the station on the south side, will have to go through the barriers to do it.
This problem will probably be solved with a new south concourse.
With other expansion, including new platforms and splitting Platform 1 into three separate platforms and the arrival of HS2, Leeds station is certainly having a lot of men (and women!) in!
The Anonymous Widower 