WYCA launches tram consultation
Views are now being sought on proposals for phase one of the West Yorkshire Mass Transit network, with options for the Leeds-Bradford route and a route to the White Rose centre on the table.
Introducing the 11-week process, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority said: “Our aim is to eventually connect the whole of West Yorkshire, but for phase one we are proposing two lines: The Leeds Line and the Bradford Line. During this consultation, we are asking for your feedback on route options for both lines.”
Although West Yorkshire continues to use the broader “Mass Transit” terms, the documentation issued confirms that for phase one at least, the method of delivery will be trams.
The Department for Transport is the ultimate sponsor the £2bn project, and plans spelling out the scope of this initial phase were signed off and sent to government in March ahead of the end of West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin’s previous term, before she was re-elected in May.
Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “Our aim is a Mass Transit system for people of all ages and abilities, that is affordable and easy to use, which will be safe and secure for all.”
The Leeds Line
The Leeds Line is intended to connect people from St James’s University Hospital and the White Rose Shopping Centre, via Leeds city centre in a single continuous route.
For the purposes of the consultation, the line has been split into two at Victoria Bridge crossing the River Aire, the northern part billed as the city centre section, the other part the South Leeds section.
There are four options for the route the city centre section could take, and three for the South Leeds section.
City centre options: L1 via East Parade and Infirmary Street, L2 via East Parade (northbound) and Park Row (southbound), L3 via Cookridge Street and Park Row, L4 via Regent Street and The Headrow.
South Leeds options: L5 via Dewsbury Road, L6 via Elland Road, Elland Road stadium and Ring Road Middleton, L7 via Gelderd Road, Lowfields Road, Elland Road stadium and Old Lane.
Of the city centre options, L4 is the outlier, being the only one not broadly heading past the universities and First Direct Arena. Of the Leeds Line South options, L5 is the most direct, although the others provide transport to Leeds United’s Elland Road venue,
In time, a route south from White Rose, the Dewsbury Line, will extend the Mss Transit network to Kirklees.
Four options are on the table for the city centre part of the Leeds Line. Credit: WYCA
The Bradford Line
Three route options are in play for the Bradford Line, which will have an as yet undetermined terminus in Bradford city centre, partly dependent on where the new railway station is built.
The options are B1, via Stanningley and Armley, B2 via Laisterdyke and Wortley, and B3 via Laisterdyke and Armley.
Options B1 and B3 would link to the Leeds Liune at Wellington Street, and B2 at Sweet Street. B2 and B3 would both see the reuse of the historic Pudsey trailway route. Secle4cting B1 would mean a new crossing would be required at the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.
A series of drop-in events will be held across Leeds and Bradford over the coming weeks and months.
Following this initial consultation phase, a preferred route consultation will take place in 2025. Brabin intends for there to be spades in the ground by 2028.
The process will run until 30 September. Full information is available online here at the WYCA consultation site.
Commencing the West Yorkshire mass transit system by prioritising routes between Leeds and Bradford which already has excellent train links is the same stupidity as starting Hs2 in London. Surely levelling up and bringing prosperity and growth to the region should start with connectivity for areas that have terrible lack of links in the region such as Halifax
By Rick Whiteside
I’m 67 not expecting this in my lifetime
By Big Al
Stop with your visions until you have done a genuine listening exercise with those most affected. Not minimising and platitudes.
By Anonymous
not necessary
By Anonymous
Instead of spending all that money 1st get the bus sorted like manchester for Example
By Paul Ohalloran
Why not very frequent limited-stop express buses twixt Leeds-Bradford-Halifax?
By Anonymous
much better to simply improve bus and rail services. the roads and rails are already there, so spend the money on improving those, and get folk out of cars.
By nunva wyzer
The picture is an absolute cracker, top CGI nonsense: they are all walking to their imminent doom, quite fast.
By Anonymous
B1
By B1
Good
By Option B1
Just looking at the comments here with my greater Manchester head on, and couple of observations.
You need to get shovels in the ground on the low hanging fruit lines that will generate good farebox and connect strategic places, and that will build credibility for further phases.
Longer term it will be a very powerful real estate development tool (unlike buses). now GM is 20+ years into its system it’s seeing really significant transit orientated development in the brownfield sites outside the city core where the tram travels.
By Rich X
I remember blue trams as I grew up in Shipley. I also remember watching the tram rails being ripped up as I walked to school. Then came the Trollybuses. Some years later. They disappeared along with their overhead cables!.
The huge sum of money would be better spent on improving the bus service for the area instead of being wasted on a mass transit system which will go the way of the previous trams and trollybuses. It’s just more tax payers money in the pockets of business. The building process will cause massive disruption to road transport and the trams will not stop where needed. Passengers will still have to get a bus or taxi to get where they need to be. The scheme is a massive waste and misuse of public money. The government happily robs pensioners and takes away pensioners right to a free TV licence. Will bus passes be next!.
By Mick.Woosnam
Please for once take notice of the general public the council tax payers who do not want this costly disruptive waste of our money This is our money not the mayor’s publicity fund.
By Graham Jarrett