West Yorkshire mass transit: long-awaited tram network delayed until late 2030s after independent review
The slated opening of West Yorkshire’s long-awaited tram network has been delayed until the late 2030s, Tracy Brabin has said, with the mayor saying “it takes too long to deliver infrastructure in this country”.
Ms Brabin reaffirmed her pledge to get spades in the ground by 2028 to start work on the mass transit system, the largest local transport project in the UK, which will connect Leeds with Bradford.
The proposed route runs past Elland Road to the White Rose Centre, with the potential for future extensions to the airport and surrounding areas, including Dewsbury and Wakefield.
Funding for the scheme was allocated by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the Spending Review, with Ms Brabin given £2.1bn to spend on transport projects between 2027 and 2032.
However, the mayor announced yesterday that the prospective opening period has now been pushed back from the mid 2030s to the latter end of that decade.
The final consultation on the route has also been pushed back, as is confirmation that it will be a tram network.
This came after an independent review, commissioned by the combined authority (WYCA), which has put together a “a robust, sequential timeline”.
Mike Birch, who has been brought in as mass transit director, said this was “derisking our delivery of the overall programme”.
Previously WYCA was attempting to work on the business case and the planning process at the same time, to speed up the timeframe, however it was advised to focus on the former first.
This delay will likely fuel the sceptics, after two previous tram systems in Leeds failed to get off the ground.
Speaking at a press conference in Leeds, Ms Brabin told The Yorkshire Post that she “understands” the scepticism.
“People have been promised so much in the north, more widely, and here in West Yorkshire, particularly around trams,” the mayor explained.
“That's why I am so determined that we are going to deliver this.
“I know that people say: ‘We've been here twice before. What's the difference?’
“The difference is the political will. It's not just shared by me and government, but it's all our local leaders as well as businesses.”
The changes were announced in an exchange of letters between Ms Brabin and Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy, who is overseeing the project for the Department for Transport.
In her letter, the West Yorkshire Mayor said: “The commitment to delivery is vital. I agree with the need to produce a clear and compelling business case for the project, so that the benefits of the scheme will be clear for all to see.”
She also hit out at the process, saying: “I believe it takes too long to deliver infrastructure in this country.
“If we are to be the builders and not the blockers, we must look at how we can make quicker decisions and speed up processes.
“Other countries manage to do this faster than us. It cannot be right that it could take 18 years from the beginning of the project to the end.”
Lord Hendy said he agreed with Ms Brabin’s “frustration” at the time it takes to deliver mass transit schemes in the UK, writing: “We must seek to accelerate the delivery of the programme at every stage, supported by a clear and compelling business case for doing so, otherwise we risk holding back the growth of our city regions.”
He also said he would try to include the scheme in the Government’s major projects portfolio.
“This will help to ensure it has the full focus of government on its delivery, but in any event I would be happy to ensure that the project benefits from the support of the government’s project delivery community.”