Transport in Leeds

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Leeds is an excellent place to work because it’s extremely cultural, friendly and bursting with atmosphere. When you work in Leeds you will have access to a truly great transport system, providing taxis, buses and trains which are available to use at almost all hours of the day, making your commute to the office as easy as possible.

Leeds by Air

The nearest airport to Leeds city centre is Leeds Bradford airport which sees over 2.5 million passengers move through it every single year. The airport has one runway and flies to over 65 different destinations worldwide. It’s a relatively small airport but continues to grow, with passenger numbers expected to double by the end of 2015.

Getting to Leeds airport from Leeds city centre is easy, with the easiest form of transport to get you to and from the airport being the bus. Flying Tiger is the company providing the most buses to this location operating from; Leeds and Harrogate Bus Stations, Harrogate, Bradford and Leeds Train and Coach Stations. The journey takes around 20-30 minutes. Alternatively you can get a taxi to the airport with many local cab services offering cheap airport drop offs. Or you could drive to the airport yourself as it offers short stay, mid stay and long stay parking options – the journey to the airport only takes around 20 minutes.

Key UK Destinations and Times (direct flights)

Leeds to Aberdeen – 1 hour 15 minutes

Leeds to Glasgow – 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes

Leeds to Belfast – 1 hour

Leeds to London – 1 hour 5 minutes

Leeds to Southampton – 1 hour 5 minutes

Leeds by Train

Leeds has one main railway station which is the 2nd busiest railway station outside London. With 17 platforms, it sees over 30 million passengers pass through it every single year. In regards to the country’s rail network, Leeds is a really important railway station. It is where the East Coast Main Line services terminate – bringing commuters in from London on high speed rail services. It is also a major stop on the Cross Country services which connect Scotland, the Midlands and the South West together. The train station also provides many local services to Manchester, Sheffield, Newcastle and Liverpool and is extremely important in relation to the West Yorkshire commuter network as it provides inner-city services to all the local towns and suburbs.

Key Destinations and Times from Leeds Mainline Station

Leeds Train Station to London – 2 hours 30 minutes

Leeds Station to Nottingham – 1 hour 50 minutes

Leeds Station to Bristol – 3 hours 30 minutes

Leeds Station to Edinburgh – 2 hours 55 minutes

Leeds Station to Cardiff 4 hours 11 minutes

Leeds by Bus

Leeds has an excellent bus system enabling you to travel in and around the City cheaply and quickly. The Leeds City Bus service links up all the key city destinations and charges just 50p per journey, which is really useful if you’re moving in and around the city centre. The service operates from 6 am in the morning until 7 pm at night and if you buy a season ticket you can use the service for free. There are also a wide range of free city bus services on City Bus, Free Town and Free City routes which connect all the major parking areas, shopping areas and business areas of the city – these are designed to encourage people to use public transport and leave their cars at home where possible.

Leeds by Car

Travelling around Leeds by car is easy as it is the start of many A roads and it has easy connections to the M1 and M62. The A62, A63, A64 and A65 all begin in Leeds. The Leeds inner ring road is a key part of its road network. It forms a ring around its city centre and contains six different roads within it all which form part of longer more substantial routes. The ring road is around 2.5 miles long and has a 40 mile speed limit. Parking in Leeds is relatively easy, although due to the city’s congestion problems where possible you are encouraged to travel by public transport. For information and guidance on parking in Leeds, click here.

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