AFTER years of denying that diesel fumes circulating beneath Southern Cross Station's wavy roof are hurting railway employees, the company that manages the station has agreed to install extraction fans to improve air quality.

But it appears taxpayers will foot the bill for work at the station, which was built under a public-private partnership.

Staff have complained about diesel fumes at Southern Cross Station. Credit:Wayne Taylor

The move comes as the manager of the station's small food court abruptly abandoned it, well before its lease was up.

Delaware North, the company that managed the food court and was part of the original consortium to successfully bid to build Southern Cross in 2002, left the railway station last Thursday.