A tram line between Bradford city centre and Leeds and a new bus station in the city are among the transport projects that will benefit from £2.1 billion of funding being announced today.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced the huge funding allocation for West Yorkshire, and the cash will enable work on the long planned tram project to begin in 2028.
Other projects to benefit include a new bus station to replace the ageing Bradford Interchange and new measures to make the A641, which runs from Wyke to Brighouse, safer for pedestrians and cyclists, as well as increasing bus lanes on the route.
Speaking ahead of next week’s Spending Review, the Chancellor will join West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin at a bus depot in Huddersfield where she will unveil West Yorkshire’s ‘transport for city regions’ funding for 2027-2032.
The funding will also support other transport infrastructure projects across the region including a new bus station in Wakefield and access improvements to unlock regeneration across six key neighbourhoods bordering on Leeds City Centre.
The first phase of West Yorkshire’s Mass Transit network will create two tram lines – a Bradford Line that will connect Bradford and Leeds city centres and a Leeds Line, running from St James’s University Hospital through the city centre to the White Rose Shopping Centre.
Each line will include regular stops, and the Bradford line is expected to link the city centre’s two rail stations.
Few details of the planned new bus station for Bradford have been revealed.
However, last year a report into the future of Bradford Interchange said that although the bus station was safe to re-open after a long period of closure, it was reaching the end of its lifespan.
Structural engineers recommended the Authority develop plans for a new bus station in the city centre that could replace the 50-year-old Interchange in the coming years.
West Yorkshire Mayor mentioned plans for a new station at a meeting of Bradford Council’s Executive on Tuesday. She said: “We all know (the Interchange) is at the end of its life, which is why we are looking at new plans.”
She said it was too early to disclose where the new station might be.
On the Government’s funding announcement, Ms Brabin said today: “It is time for trams – today is a huge moment for our region.
“The Chancellor’s backing means we now have the investment needed to bring trams back to the streets of Leeds and Bradford – improving public transport connections and boosting growth.
“We will also be able to take forward other vital projects, including new bus stations for Bradford and Wakefield, which will help us create a better-connected region that works for all.”
Leader of Bradford Council Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe said: “The new tram between Bradford and Leeds alongside the promised investment in better rail connections for Bradford has the power to transform the transport connectivity of our region for decades to come.
“I hugely welcome this news, it gives investors confidence to keep investing in West Yorkshire and will provide better economic opportunities for our young people as they grow up here.”
Mark Casci, Head of Policy and Representation at West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This commitment to fund mass transit in West Yorkshire can be a game changer for the region.
“West Yorkshire is home to a world-class business community, but the region is held back by poor connectivity which impacts upon our productivity.
“By delivering this much needed infrastructure upgrade to the region, West Yorkshire can finally punch its weight and deliver enhanced returns for UK PLC.”
In a speech today Ms Reeves is expected to say: “A Britain that is better off cannot rely on a handful of places forging ahead of the rest of the country. The result of such thinking has been growth created in too few places, felt by too few people and wide gaps between regions, and between our cities and towns.”
The Combined Authority will publish its preferred route options later this year, with a full public consultation planned during 2026.
The £2.5bn mass transit programme will have spades in the ground by 2028, with the intention for the first trams to be operating before the mid-2030s.
Last year the Combined Authority asked for the public’s views on different route options, with 4,845 individuals and organisations in total having their say.
More than two thirds of those surveyed in West Yorkshire backed the Bradford Line plans, while more than three quarters supported the proposed Leeds Line.
However, just 14 per cent of those who responded to the survey were from Bradford.
By: Chris Young, LDRS
