JohnA new £2.5 billion mass transit system is set to connect St James’ Hospital with south Leeds, with another line running from Bradford city centre to Leeds city centre.
People are now being invited to have their say on a choice of proposed route options that will connect central and South Leeds; and Bradford with Leeds.
Leeds and Bradford have been chosen as the hubs from which the West Yorkshire mass transit network can grow, as they are the region’s most concentrated centres of population, business, leisure and retail.
All potential phase one options for the Leeds Line run close to the White Rose Centre, with two route options also running close to Elland Road.
Some of the other places the proposed route options would aim to connect include Leeds General Infirmary, The South Bank, St James’s Hospital, Holbeck and Beeston.
The Bradford Line will connect people between Bradford city centre and Leeds city centre with the proposed route options aiming to connect areas like Thornbury, Laisterdyke, Pudsey, Armley and Wortley.
Linking up these communities will enable more people to get to jobs and training and education opportunities, all while working towards tackling the climate emergency.
The details were revealed at an event in the Hilton Doubletree Hotel in Leeds City Centre, attended by stakeholders, businesses and politicians.
The Combined Authority wants to hear views from as many people as possible – a public consultation, open to everyone, starts today and will run until September 30.
Feedback from members of the public will help us identify benefits and issues with our mass transit routes options for Leeds and Bradford, improve our proposals and help us decide which of these options will go forward to create a Leeds Line and a Bradford Line.
The event also marked the start of the Combined Authority’s engagement on its Local Transport Plan (LTP_, which will guide policy and investment for transport in West Yorkshire up to 2040.
The region’s plans for mass transit will form a key part of Mayor Brabin’s growth plan.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “West Yorkshire is a truly special place to live and work, but learning, earning a living or spending time with friends and family should not be limited by a difficult journey.
“A crucial part of our growth mission, Mass Transit will transform the transport options available to the people of West Yorkshire, as well as attracting investment into the region and boosting our economy.
“We want to create a better-connected West Yorkshire, with a Mass Transit system that is affordable, easy to use, and safe and secure for all.”
Once preferred routes have been developed, a further statutory consultation will follow in 2025. This consultation will include proposals for tram stops, depots, potential park and ride sites and engineering works.
In parallel with phase one, the Combined Authority will continue to work with Kirklees Council on the Dewsbury Line Development Project, as well as Calderdale and Wakefield councils for future phases, so no part of West Yorkshire is left behind.
Following this options consultation and the preferred route consultation in 2025, an application to the Secretary of State for Transport would be made for legal powers and planning permission to build and operate phase one.
This would be in the form of a Transport Works Act Order in the second half of 2026.
Work is expected to begin in 2028, with first lines operational by the early 2030s.
Leader of Leeds City Council Cllr James Lewis said: ”Mass transit will transform transport connectivity across our city, helping to deliver inclusive growth and attracting even more investment.
“As the largest city in western Europe that does not currently have a mass transit system, it is vitally important that our residents and businesses across Leeds have their say on these initial options so that the preferred routes put forward by the Combined Authority next year are the right ones for our communities.”
The public are encouraged to have their say on both the Mass Transit Phase One Route Options and the Local Transport Plan.
