The railway first came to Leeds in 1834, when the Leeds and Selby Railway (which became part of the North Eastern Railway) opened its line. This had a terminus at Marsh Lane, to the east of the city centre.

In 1840, the North Midland Railway (one of the original constituents of the Midland Railway) constructed its line from Derby via Rotherham to a terminus at Hunslet Lane, to the south. This was extended to a more centrally-located terminus at Wellington Street in 1846, known as Wellington Station.

Another station, Leeds Central (also situated on Wellington Street), was opened in 1854 by the Manchester & Leeds Railway (later Lancashire & Yorkshire) and the London and North Western Railway, or LNWR. This station was eventually owned jointly by the LNWR and the North Eastern Railway, but other companies also had powers to run trains there, including the Great Northern Railway and the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway.

In 1869 a station called New Station opened as a joint enterprise by the LNWR and the North Eastern Railway. This connected the former Leeds and Selby Railway line to the east with the LNWR lines to the west. A mile-long connection was built, carried entirely on viaducts and bridges. New Station itself was built partially on a bridge over the River Aire. It was situated adjacent to Wellington station.

Following the 1921 Railways Act, when railways in Great Britain were grouped into four companies, New Station remained jointly-operated, but now by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) and the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER).

The first rationalisation occurred in 1938, when two stations (New and Wellington) were combined to form Leeds City Station. The third station, Central, was unaffected by the change and was mainly used by the LNER. Part of Wellington station became a parcels depot. This project also saw the construction of the North Concourse and the Queens Hotel.In 2002 the amalgamation of all three passenger stations was completed.

The North Concourse is a fine long and spacious concrete area with a high ceiling and elegant lighting. It was designed for the LMS by W.H.Hamlyn and completed in 1938. Hamlyn was also responsible for the adjacent Queens Hotel completed in 1937. It has been described as art deco in style with an added element of neo-Greek. It was innovative in having air-conditioning and double glazing. The interior is splendidly eclectic and has recently been sensitively restored. Both structures are listed Grade II.

On Wellington Street there was a massive goods handling complex with, adjacent to Central passenger station, three roughly parallel but separate terminals. Immediately adjacent to Central and at the same high level was the LYR/LNWR joint terminal. Next at ground level was the Great Northern terminal, and finally at the same level the North Eastern.

Little of this remains except for a wagon lift tower in stone, one of two built to move wagons between the LNWR high level tracks and the ground level Great Northern. It survives rather forlorn but listed Grade II.

Also surviving and listed Grade II is the LNWR viaduct built in 1848 to serve Central Station. Eleven arches survive, cut off from any rail connection. The arch over the river Aire is a massive span of 41 m (135 ft).

Finally on Wellington Street the former Great Northern Hotel of 1869 is still standing, six storeys high in stone and brick, but no longer a hotel. It is not listed.