Rail travellers at Leeds have been given their first glimpse of the new station roof, replacing the old wooden roof with a new transparent one that will allow natural light into the south concourse.

And, by the end of August, the remaining scaffolding and protective hoardings that have stood for the past ten months will be stripped back to reveal the new structure in its entirety.

The new roof and gateline are the first step towards the delivery of the transformational Leeds Integrated Station Masterplan (LISM), a collaboration between the rail industry, Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Mark Bloor, programme manager for Network Rail, said: “Passengers have been extremely patient with us during the past ten months while we’ve been working away behind the hoardings, but I’m delighted that we’re now able to start revealing the new roof. In a few weeks the roof, the new ticket gates and New Station Street will all be complete, as we finish off this series of projects that are intended to breathe new life into Leeds station.”