Today (Monday 16th June) marks the beginning of Better Transport Week 2025, which officially launched at Leeds City Station.
Better Transport Week was founded in June 2023 by Campaign for Better Transport in a bid to raise awareness for cleaner ways to travel. Whether this is by bus, bike or train.
The theme for this year’s annual campaign is ‘how better transport can help connect communities and bring people together’, which was clearly echoed at their first event, which took place in Leeds City Station just this morning.
Here, members of Network Rail, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Campaign for Better Transport gathered to discuss some of the stations major challenges which, could be deterring people from travelling sustainably.
One of the main issues that dominated conversations was accessibility. As well as being one of the biggest stations in the UK, the latest statistics show Leeds station is the busiest in the North of England, with 34 million passengers using it each year. That being said, there are currently just two overbridges that allow for people to travel in-between 17 platforms.
However, Joe Noake, a Senior Sponsor at Network Rail, explained there are ongoing developments at the station to address these problems. This includes the construction of a new overbridge in the centre of the station, of which more information can be found in the Leeds Integrated Station Masterplan.
He also cited plans to construct a new tram service, where work is due to commence in early 2028. He said the service will hopefully reduce the number of people who choose to drive between Bradford and Leeds – the cities are just five miles apart.
When launching the start of Better Transport Week, Joe said: ‘It’s great to be able to showcase the improvements taking place here at Leeds station.
‘These ambitious plans for redevelopment will transform how the station feels and operates, with new connections to the south and east of the city, and relieving passenger congestion on the main platforms with the construction of a new central overbridge.’
Speaking to Air Quality News, Michael Solom Williams, Head of Campaigns at Campaign for Better Transport, added: ‘Better Transport Week is about celebrating the transport which connects communities and makes lives better. It’s about celebrating sustainable transport in all its forms, which includes trains.
‘We really believe that people are influenced by current plans taking place to transform travel, so if people see the work that is happening here at Leeds station, that’s going to impact on other people’s lives.’
‘Better Transport Week is also about celebrating how transport can improve air quality,’ Michael continued. ‘Better Transport Week is intentionally the same week as Clean Air Day and we’re celebrating the impact that public transport, shared transport and active travel has on making people’s lives healthier.’
Better Transport Week is due to take place from Monday 16th June until Sunday 22nd June and dozens of events, from conferences to workshops, are being hosted. More information about how to get involved can be found here.
Image: Emily Whitehouse
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