The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) aspires to have a mass transit public transport system across the whole county but for phase one is looking at just two tram lines: the Leeds Line and the Bradford Line.
A consortium Mott MacDonald and Jacobs will support WYCA in developing the programme’s first phases, taking the existing concept design through completion, providing all professional services and technical support to deliver the network’s first phase by the end of the decade.
Mott MacDonald and Jacobs have previously worked on the business case and environmental assessment as well as with stakeholder engagement.
Leeds and Bradford used to have thriving tram services, from Victorian days until the 1950s. Revival plans have been persistent ever since their closure. Plans for a Leeds Supertam were produced at the beginning of the 21st century but axed by the then Labour government in 2005 as cost estimates spiralled to £1bn.
The new network is estimated at £2.5bn. The previous Conservative government allocated £200m for its development.
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority now anticipates the early construction stage will begin in 2028, with phase one to include two lines serving Leeds and Bradford. It will be one of the largest urban transit schemes in the UK.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s interim director of mass transit, Rob Leech, said: “Mass transit is a significant part of our ambition to create an integrated transport system for West Yorkshire. We are delighted to be working with the Jacobs-Mott MacDonald consortium who will support us to achieve our vision to bring mass transit to our region.”
