West Yorkshire tram consultation starts

On 15 July the West Yorkshire Combined Authority in England started a public consultation on potential routes for a £2.5bn tramway system. 

 

One line will link the centres of Leeds and Bradford, with three potential routes. The same number of options are offered for a second line running from Leeds St James’ University Hospital via the city centre and south to the White Rose commercial centre in the southern suburbs. 

 

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said the goal is to have spades in the ground by 2028. 

 

Ms Brabin said, ‘It is important we start with a spine and then we can build from there across West Yorkshire. This will succeed. I know people are cynical, but this is a West Yorkshire-wide project and it has the buy-in of all our local authority leaders, and chimes with the ambitions of the new national government. We want it to be perfect for you, your business and your familly’. Consultation will run for 11 weeks until 30 September. 

 

Leeds had a Supertram scheme in the 1990s, but ironically it was cancelled by Alastair Darling, Secretary of State for Transport in the Blair Labour government. 

 

Learn more about the plans that WYCA have for their new mass transit system within the September edition of 'Tramways & Urban Transit'. Pre-order your copy here