Model Railway Forum

Underneath Leeds City Station are 'The Dark Arches'. As a lad the story we were told, "Go inside and you could son get lost." I could believe it, so never ventured.
Recently workmen have opened a way in. A new car park and another entrance into the station. Work being done had to be done carefully as the River Aire flows under the railway station. There are three videos on youtube of the work carried out.

6th of April I was in Leeds

Scenes under the arches







Glencairn

A meal and a drink under the arches. The station above.




Opposite the arches is the Leeds Liverpool Canal




Glencairn

Leeds Station is built on top of another, earlier station? Leeds’ first proper city rail station was Wellington Station built temporarily in 1846, before a permanent one was fixed up in 1850 on top of arches across the River Aire.

19 years later Leeds New Station was built adjacent to the first, which was how it stayed until 1923 when the two were grouped together. City Station was rebuilt in 1969 when Central Station was closed, but you can still see it from a distance, if you venture under the arches. What you can’t reach, however, are old platforms, tunnels and and offices that now gathering dust within spitting distance of the thousands of commuters that pass through the new station every day.

When I lived in Leeds I was often told there was a way through the Dark Arches that led to Kirkstall Abbey. I never ventured to find out.

Glencairn