Stannah escalators and passenger lifts installed at Leeds Station entrance

Four Stannah escalators and two passenger lifts have been installed at the new southern entrance to Leeds Station.

Stannah was chosen following multiple escalator and lift installations at Birmingham’s Grand Central Station for Network Rail and Mace. The project was completed by the Stannah Escalator & Moving Walkway Department and Stannah Major Project team, working with main contractor Carillion.

The Leeds Station Southern Entrance (LSSE) scheme was funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds Council, the Department for Transport and Network Rail. 

The extension provides a new accessible entrance and additional concourse built in the River Aire – built to diminish congestion at the busy commuter station. It is estimated that up to 20,000 passengers will benefit from using the new entrance, shortening commute times and providing easy access from the south of Leeds.

Stannah Lifts specification

Stannah installed four escalators to provide continuous vertical transportation, as well as two bespoke 13-person passenger lifts for travellers with heavy luggage or child buggies and wheelchair-users.

Due to the tight restraints on the site, the lift equipment had to be modified to achieve the design and vision without compromising safety. 

The escalators are to NR specification, with additional features including the installation of an additional stop button on each machine during mid-travel for emergencies.

The machines are manufactured at 35 degrees, instead of the standard NR specification of 30 degrees, and the speed of the machines has been reduced from the standard NR .65m/s to .05m/s. 

This resulted in a safe, efficient method of travel within the constraints of the unorthodox building design. With no room for housing external controllers, these became an integral part of the escalators.

As the lifts had restricted space, machine room-less traction equipment was installed to enable the largest capacity possible within the tight footprint of the station.

Leeds Station Southern Entrance scheme

The Leeds Station southern entrance will open up new travel opportunities and provide a further stimulus to the development and expansion of the city centre, continuing the regeneration of the southern quarter of the city.

Stannah will add the project to its poftfolio of high-profile rail projects, helping Network Rail achieve ‘Step-free access’ across the rail network.

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