First stage of York Station entrance transformation project underway as 19th century Queen Street Bridge removed this week

The City of York Council has set out a local plan to improve sustainability growth of the city, as a result, the proposals set out will make arriving and using the station simpler for pedestrians, cyclists, buses, taxis and drop-offs and people using long and short stay parking.

The plans will prioritise pedestrian and cyclist routes and create new public spaces. Currently, entering and exiting the station can be confusing as the entrance and exit are difficult to navigate, with visitors often unsure where to go next.

The intricate plan will work to improve the use of space in front of York Station. These proposals will create a place for people and an effective interchange across all types of transport.

The first major stage of the project will be to remove Queen Street Bridge to offer the space needed to make these improvements. The road will then be moved further away from the city walls, which will allow for the reorganisation of the station frontage.

The Victorian Queen Street bridge was built when trains used the lines through to the old railway station, currently now the council’s West Offices.

It had not been used since the 1960s and the bridge is built very close to the base of the city walls and hides a large section of the walls from view, blocking several of the Victorian railway-era York Railway Institute buildings. Removing the bridge will significantly improve the setting of the city walls.

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City of York Council has published information to support residents and visitors with a key road in the city set to close for two weekends this month.

As an essential part of works to transform the entrance to York Station, parts of Station Road and Queen Street Bridge will be closed from 8pm on Friday, April 26 to 6am on Monday, April 29, 2024.

The closures are to allow for the diversion road to be finished through what was formerly part of the station car park and also to start work to remove Queen Street Bridge. The diversion road will then be temporarily used by pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles while the project continues.

Trains to and from York will be running as usual. Businesses and the station will be open as usual, but the main LNER station car park will be closed to cars while the road closure is in place so people are advised to plan ahead and, if possible, take this opportunity to use other methods of transport to the station during these closures.

A section of the City Walls walkway, between Micklegate Bar and Station Rise, will be closed from Friday, April 19 to Monday, April 26, 2024 and from Friday, April 26 to Monday, April 29, 2024 to allow for the works on Queen Street Bridge.