The station is not staffed, though ticket vending machines are available on each platform. Passenger information screens were also installed in 2015. There is step free access via the carpark to platform 2, whilst access to platform 1 is available by lifts installed in spring 2019. The old station building and platform it stands on is no longer in railway use - a replacement platform has been built a few yards further up the line towards Horsforth, giving the station a staggered platform configuration.
Location and areas served
The station is halfway between Headingley centre and Kirkstall, just down the road from the Headingley Stadium's rugby and cricket grounds. It is over half a mile from the centre of Headingley itself, but close to local bus routes on Kirkstall Hill, Kirkstall Road and Kirkstall Lane. It is also close to local shops and services in Kirkstall, including Kirkstall Leisure Centre. The station also serves the West Park and Queenswood Drive areas, which it is linked to by a pedestrian footpath through the Headingley Station allotments. The predominantly student occupied houses between Kirkstall Lane and St. Ann's Drive are also within a short walk. It is the closest railway station to Leeds Beckett University's Beckett Park campus.
Services
Monday to Saturday daytimes, is generally a half-hourly service southbound to Leeds and a half-hourly service northbound to Knaresborough with one train per hour onwards to York. In peak hours, there are extra services to and from Leeds. In the evening there is an hourly service in each direction, whilst on Sundays there are two departures per hour to Leeds & Knaresborough and one per hour through to York. Services are mostly operated byClass 170 as well as 150, 155 and 158diesel multiple units. Daily return expresses between Harrogate and London operated by London North Eastern Railway pass through the station but do not stop.
Parking
The station has a small car park which is free to use for rail users, although no form of proof of travel or ticket is required.
Future
Rolling stock
In 2014 the replacement of the Pacers that were developed from the Leyland National buses in the 1980s was raised with Chancellor George Osborne; both the 142s and 144s that serve this line are both Pacers. New Northern franchise operator Arriva Rail North has since agreed to withdraw the Pacers by 2019 and replace them with either cascaded stock or new DMUs. A contract for new diesel & electric units was agreed with Spanish train builder CAF and rolling stock leasing company Eversholt in January 2016.
Electrification
In July 2011, Harrogate Chamber of Commerce proposed to electrify the line with 750 V DCthird rail, using D Stock of the London Underground, to substantially increase capacity. This idea has not been backed by Metro, Northern Rail or National Rail and seems unlikely to garner support given the age of the D stock, the need to adapt the D stock to third rail as it runs with a fourth and the preference for overhead electrification.
