Transparent Roof Unveiled At Leeds Station

The first pictures of the new roof at Leeds railway station have been released by Network Rail. The organisation showcased the new transparent roof that’s being installed at the station.

According to The Construction Index, the intention was to introduce more natural light to the station. The new roof is made from ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), a fluorine-based co-polymer material.

It’s a big change from the old, dark wooden roof that the new transparent roof is replacing. But this is just one part of the work that’s being undertaken at Leeds station. The whole project isn’t due to be completed until October this year and is costing £161 million.

As well as introducing much more daylight, the new roof is also considerably higher than the old one.

Mark Bloor, Network Rail programme manager, thanked passengers at Leeds for their patience during the works.

“We’re entering the last stretch of construction, which will mean some short-term changes to access routes through the station, so we’re asking passengers to bear with us and allow a little extra time to travel as we put the finishing touches on the project,” he stated.

There could be more changes set for Leeds station if HS2 goes ahead as planned. Last month the Yorkshire Evening Post reported that the proposals for the new rail line include a viaduct linking Leeds to Wakefield.

This would see the rail line run on a viaduct for approximately 8km, rather than a combination of ground level, cutting and embankment.

According to the newspaper, the new designs for the HS2 line came after existing proposals were criticised for being too complex and having too much of an impact on the existing Hallam line during construction. Been inspired by the new roof at Leeds station? Get in touch with us to find out more about corrugated roofing sheets for your construction project.