YorksLad12
Established Member
Beat me to it, I took a photo from my side this morning... that is, once I realised it had gone 
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Leeds Station Improvement
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YorksLad12
Established Member
How early morning? Might have been the first journey on that diagram? I caught it once off 8. Had a GNER First Class deal and was just a few seats away from (Sir) Philip Green and his good lady, Tina. Presumably taking the train because they couldn't sail their yacht up the Aire 
Wharfe106
Member
I may also be suffering from loss of memory, but I wa in Leeds during the 1st project and have the brochures also in a box!!... W was built, IIRC, with a waiting room as London trains ere to use it, and that end of the over bridge shows sign of the extension that never happened! The reason they abandoned the idea was, as you say, that from W trains would have to cross most of the throat, risking blocking 2-6....
How early morning? Might have been the first journey on that diagram? I caught it once off 8. Had a GNER First Class deal and was just a few seats away from (Sir) Philip Green and his good lady, Tina. Presumably taking the train because they couldn't sail their yacht up the Aire
Would have been the first one of the day at five something.
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
London trains definitely used W/1 semi-regularly both before, during and immediately after the upgrade. Arrived in there on 373s, and on an HST which was bound for Skipton. Not sure when it stopped being used for London services as a matter of course.
I was thinking that I was using Harrogate line trains that were occupying platform 1 for most of the period after it was built, but on reflection I moved and stopped using those trains early on, and after I was forced onto buses for 6 months by the Bradford Line closure I don't think I ever really went back to trains. Certainly if you've got brochures from the time then that tops my recollections!
noddingdonkey
Member
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I thought they used W temporarily during the refurb works, particularly during the period when one of the through platforms was out of commission/blocked and operating as a bay. Back then there were only 1-3 to worry about blocking access to rather then 2-6.
Once what became 6 was extended and other new bays opened they used that instead.
Once what became 6 was extended and other new bays opened they used that instead.
YorksLad12
Established Member
Just done some crate-digging. Couldn't find the Leeds PCC report from the very late 1990s which had lots of detail of the scheme, old and new platform layouts etc (so hoping it wasn't misfiled into the bin a couple of years ago) but, among the batch of publications, leaflets and reports I probably shouldn't have I found a news release from GNER at around the time of Leeds 1st, saying they were looking forward to using platform W/1 and adding four new services Monday to Friday.
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
I'm afraid I don't have anything more than my own memories. There may be an old photo in a family loft somewhere. 89001 at the W/1 stops on a Bradford service springs to mind but that might be a figment of my imagination!
YorksLad12
Established Member
Opposite platform 1 is platform 2; the opposite side of platform 1 is the being-built platform 0. That said, I can see some white blocks on the western end of platform 2... perhaps they're going to chop a bit out of that and make a temporary bay sharing platform space with 2 & 3?
Sorry, I meant opposite as in the side were platform 0 is being built - I'll have another look at the plan I saw next time I get a chance and see if I misread it...
xotGD
Established Member
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So P0 will start life as P1. Must be some rationale behind this rather than just numbering it as P0 from Day 1.
swt_passenger
Veteran Member
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Is it possible that it can be used as a pseudo P1 without any signalling alterations, (including route indicators and PIS displays etc), and they’re being altered later in one ‘big bang’?
YorksLad12
Established Member
Signalling for P0 would require quite a bit of work I'd imagine, software as well as hardware. What I don't understand is why they'd build the equivalent of platform 0A (lay track; platform edge; buffer stop) and then continue work on 0B. Why not open the whole platform as a P1 replacement, do the work on P1 they want to do and then commission the new signalling so both can be used at the same time?
YorksLad12
Established Member
By the way: thought I'd share this. I have a batch of photographs (prints only) of Leeds from before Platform W was built, although I've no idea when they were taken or how I ended up with them. This shows platform 1 (now platform 4) on the right, across the sidings to Wellington platforms 6 and 5 (now 1 and most of 0). Ah, if only they'd made both Wellington platforms part of Leeds 1st...
Not quite right. Our information upstairs is that platform 1 will be shortened from May and only used for diesels.
Wharfe106
Member
Moving forward a stage, this Written Answer from Friday's Hansard to mull over...
Hilary Benn (Leeds Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the capacity of Leeds train stations to cope with the predicted increase in passenger demand over the next 20 years.
Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department has consulted widely with Network Rail, Train Operators, and stakeholders in Leeds and West Yorkshire on options to relieve the shortage of capacity and plan for expected growth in rail traffic. We are now developing a programme of possible improvements which will benefit passengers in the area in the medium to long term. Next steps include developing and authorising a number of short & medium-term infrastructure improvements to increase capacity and performance in the Leeds Station area. With regards to Leeds station specifically, the Government is committed to making improvements to the station to increase its capacity, including work already under way to add a new platform and tracks and upgrade the signalling.
Hilary Benn (Leeds Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the capacity of Leeds train stations to cope with the predicted increase in passenger demand over the next 20 years.
Chris Heaton-Harris: The Department has consulted widely with Network Rail, Train Operators, and stakeholders in Leeds and West Yorkshire on options to relieve the shortage of capacity and plan for expected growth in rail traffic. We are now developing a programme of possible improvements which will benefit passengers in the area in the medium to long term. Next steps include developing and authorising a number of short & medium-term infrastructure improvements to increase capacity and performance in the Leeds Station area. With regards to Leeds station specifically, the Government is committed to making improvements to the station to increase its capacity, including work already under way to add a new platform and tracks and upgrade the signalling.
That means Harrogate, Carlisle and Morecambe only trains then as all other diesel services would have to cross the entire west end station throat to reach this platform .
Indeed. I wasn't even aware that the platform on the other side of W/1 was in use so late. Would have saved a lot of expense and destruction.
YorksLad12
Established Member
According to realtimetrains.co.uk everything off P1(C) today ran to or through Harrogate, apart from from one evening train from/to Skipton.
They have now started digging out the platform area (starting at midnight - we shall be having words) and a flow of concrete lorries (but with Tarmac on the side!) went in this afternoon. It looks like they're removing the last of the fencing that sits between the platform edge and the car park as I write.
YorksLad12
Established Member
Today's view from the far side. Most of the ribs and the supporting columns on the north side have gone now. The shower of sparks every time they cut through the ribs was quite a sight as they only start doing that around 11pm, but I needed my better camera for that photo... You might also spot what looks like a 170 in platform 1C 
Iskra
Established Member
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-51834313
Good news for transport in West Yorkshire;
- A mass transit system
- Leeds station to be re-developed
Good news for transport in West Yorkshire;
- A mass transit system
- Leeds station to be re-developed
West Yorkshire is to get its own elected mayor, unlocking an expected £1.8bn in investment for the area, the Chancellor has confirmed in the Budget.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said in the statement a "minded-to" agreement was reached after months of negotiations between council leaders and ministers.
The mayor will oversee policies such as transport and housing, working with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
West Yorkshire leaders said it would give the area "greater flexibility".
In a statement the West Yorkshire Combined Authority said: "This deal will give us greater flexibility to take decisions to address local concerns without asking permission from Whitehall and Westminster.
"That will include the ability to intervene more directly in local transport and in the operation of local bus services."
The West Yorkshire deal comes after local authorities from the whole of Yorkshire were told the government would not support a "One Yorkshire" plan in 2019.
That idea was backed by 18 of the 20 council's in the regions, with only Sheffield and Rotherham preferring to stick with the already agreed deal for the Sheffield City Region.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES
What is in the deal:
- £38m a year for 30 years into the West Yorkshire Investment Fund with significant freedoms to spend on local priorities.
- Government commitment to work with West Yorkshire to develop modern mass-transit system through access to a new five-year integrated transport settlement.
- £317m to invest in public transport, cycling and walking through Transforming Cities Fund with local flexibility on delivery.
- A £25m fund to support the development of a British Library North in Leeds.
- Control of the £63m annual Adult Education Budget for West Yorkshire.
- £500,000 of government funding to support masterplanning in Bradford city centre to maximise regeneration opportunities from Northern Powerhouse Rail.
- Funding for the next stage of the development of the outline business case for the Leeds railway station redevelopment.
- £3.2m to support the development of a pipeline of housing sites across West Yorkshire.
- £200,000 government funding for collaboration at a Yorkshire-level through the Yorkshire Leaders Board.
Leader of Leeds City Council Judith Blake said: "We have been working on this for a long time - we have always said we want to stick out and that we would get the deal that reflects our needs and ambitions.
"Getting the biggest deal in the country has been worth holding out for."
The deal will be put before each of the five local authorities - Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees - for approval and will be the subject of a public consultation.
If signed off by the councils it is expected elections for the region's first mayor would take place in May 2021.
superkev
Established Member
A view of platform zero today.Today's view from the far side. Most of the ribs and the supporting columns on the north side have gone now. The shower of sparks every time they cut through the ribs was quite a sight as they only start doing that around 11pm, but I needed my better camera for that photo... You might also spot what looks like a 170 in platform 1C
View attachment 75467
Devolution is of course good news, but I must admit, I like the idea of a 'One Yorkshire' deal.
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
As do I... though to an extent I can understand Sheffield's reluctance for such an arrangement as they'd fear ending up playing second-fiddle to Leeds.
I'd like to see genuine regional devolution, with adoption of a federal structure like Germany- with Yorkshire (minus Cleveland) being one of the "states"... but that's for another topic and probably another time!
I'll believe the first when I see it; this would be the third proposal since 2000?
Glenn1969
Established Member
I also think all these things will be on hold for several months even after the coronavirus crisis passes
YorksLad12
Established Member
Good photo, wish I'd thought of that myself (except I'm lazy, so just stood on my balcony for mine). Also makes me wonder why NR didn't set up a webcam for timelapse images like we did for the Southern Entrance... I think I still have the video somewhere...
Halifaxlad
Established Member
I suspect it may have something to do with with the destruction of the original Midland canopy.