Responding to the announcement by the Department for Transport today that funding has been confirmed for the new £14.4m Leeds Station Southern Entrance, Metro Chairman Cllr Chris Greaves said:

“This announcement that our revised bid for the scheme has been approved will be extremely good news for the thousands of rail passengers from across West Yorkshire for whom the new entrance will mean quicker and more convenient daily access to train services.

“The project, which could be completed by the end of 2013, will also go some way to improving the station’s status as a gateway to Leeds.

“With over 100,000 people passing through Leeds station every weekday and a significant number of them now heading to business and leisure locations to the south of the city centre, Metro has pressed for the development of this new entrance that will provide them with step-free access to the station via escalators and lifts at the western end of the station bridge.