West Yorkshire to get new mass transit network – including a plan for trams between Leeds and Bradford
Key Points
- Government will back West Yorkshire's mass transit scheme in a national transport package announced on 4 June.
- All English mayors are to gain power to approve their own mass transit systems under devolved rules.
- The £2.5bn West Yorkshire scheme targets a 2028 construction start, with first routes serving Leeds and Bradford.
- Funding includes £2.1bn from the Treasury to 2032 plus £500m the Combined Authority must raise.
- The package also covers a Birmingham Metro expansion and the reopening of Oxford's Cowley branch line.
The government has confirmed it will back West Yorkshire’s mass transit scheme as part of a national transport package, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer met regional mayors in London on Thursday (4 June).
Starmer set out the package at a meeting of the Mayoral Council, according to a Downing Street statement. Alongside West Yorkshire, it covers an expansion of the Birmingham Metro and the reopening of the Cowley branch rail line between Oxford city centre and the new Oxford Science Park.
The government said the projects will create faster connections between city centres, homes, jobs and key sites.
The government also committed to devolving Transport and Works Act Order approvals through its new Right to Request process, which it says will let all of England’s mayors approve their own mass transit systems in future. It is setting up a Mass Transit Taskforce to speed up delivery.
The change to approval powers could shorten project timelines by months or years, the Yorkshire Post reported.
What it means for West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire’s scheme, branded the Weaver Network, would return tram or light rail services to Leeds and Bradford. Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin has set a target of starting construction in 2028, with first routes running from Leeds station to the White Rose Centre and on to Bradford.
The scheme carries an estimated cost of £2.5 billion, with £2.1 billion allocated by Chancellor Rachel Reeves for transport in the region up to 2032 and a further £500 million the West Yorkshire Combined Authority must raise.
Brabin said the network would unlock the region’s potential and “put more money in people’s pockets”. Starmer said the government was “backing our mayors to get Britain building again”.
Where the scheme stands
The Combined Authority is preparing a Strategic Outline Case, an early stage in the government’s business case process, which it plans to submit towards the end of summer 2026, according to West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The project has already faced some scrutiny. A confidential review by the National Infrastructure and Service Transformation Authority suggested a bus network could offer significantly better cost benefits than trams, and the government has required Brabin to produce business cases for both a bus and a tram option, the Yorkshire Post reported.
Devolution now covers 67% of England, according to the government. Under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, mayors can intervene in major planning decisions and coordinate housing and infrastructure across their regions.
