Mass transit: Have your say as new line set to pass through West Leeds

By John Baron

Detailed proposed routes for the first phase of a new West Yorkshire mass transit network have been revealed today – and one of the lines looks set to pass through West Leeds.

Residents are now being invited to comment on two proposed route options – one linking Bradford and Leeds city centres, the other linking St James’s Hospital with central and south Leeds.

The cost for both routes would be an estimated £2.5bn, with Mayor Tracy Brabin hoping to have ‘spades in the ground’ by 2028.

The Bradford to Leeds line will connect Leeds and Bradford city centres, with three proposed route options.

• Route option B1 runs via Stanningley and Armley and generally follows the route of the A647, and going through Stanningley up to Dawsons Corner. It provides an option to serve more local communities than other routes, segregation from road traffic at Stanningley Road will support faster and more reliable times and it is the most direct route. New or widened bridges over the River Aire and Leeds and Liverpool Canal will be needed, but works would require significant changes to roads in Stanningley and many road junctions along the route. It is shown on the map below in dark blue.

• Route option B2 and runs via Laisterdyke and Wortley. It follows the existing railway line until Bramley Station. The route will go towards Pudsey and take the route of the old Pudsey railway, including via Crimbles and Greenside Tunnel. Engineers say using the historic Pudsey railway route could mean fewer opportunities for placemaking and regeneration in communities, and pointed to the need to manage and mitigate the impact on trees and green belt on the disused railway line and the loss of green space close to Pudsey Grammar School and St Joseph’s Primary School. Engineers says re-using sections of former railway could reduce impact on roads and traffic, but work would need to confirm suitability of Greenside tunnel and major bridges would have to be built over existing railway lines and the Stanningley bypass. It is shown on the map below in grey.

• Route option B3 and runs via Laisterdyke and Armley. It’ll follow the A647 through to Bramley. The route will go towards Pudsey and take the route of the old Pudsey railway, including via Crimbles and Greenside Tunnel. Many of the potential issues are the same as ‘B2’. It is shown on the map below in pink.

After the consultation one option will be selected as the preferred route.

Watch the video detailing the proposed network below. The Bradford line is featured in detail from around the 23 minute mark:

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said feedback from the public will help shape the proposals and encouraged people to take part. She promised the consultation would be genuine and that ‘no decisions have been taken’ yet.

Speaking to WLD at the consultation launch at Granary Wharf today, Mayor Brabin added: “Mass transit is going to be a game-changer. It’s going to unlock areas for housing, regeneration and investment and give people the chance to enjoy both Leeds and Bradford and reach places of work and education more easily.

“Mass transit will transform the transport options available to people living in places like Bramley and Pudsey, as well as attracting investment into the region and boosting our economy.

“We’ve been working for three years on this scheme and now we’re at the point of the consultation.

“I’m committed to growing our economy and putting more money into people’s pockets – but to do so we need a transport network that is fit for purpose. Pivotal to achieving that is a modern, Mass Transit system interconnected with a West Yorkshire bus network under local control.

“I’ve promised to have spades in the ground by 2028 on Mass Transit, there will be phasing and certain dates for certain routes, but we need to understand the views of the people who will use it to help inform the route it will take.”

Mayor Brabin said communities like Pudsey, Bramley and Armley would benefit from a tram system that is ‘interconnected’ with other communities nearby, and not just have stops at New Pudsey and Bramley Stations taking people into the city centre.

Once preferred routes are chosen and developed, a further consultation will follow next year and will feature proposals for tram stops, depots, potential park and ride sites and engineering works. Planning applications could be approved by 2027 and first lines are expected to be operational by the early 2030s.

The ill-fated Leeds Supertram and Leeds Trolleybus schemes were among a number of mass transit projects in Leeds that never came to fruition.

But Mayor Brabin said she had spoken to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer last week about West Yorkshire’s vision, which is aligned with central government’s aim to grow the economy. Chancellor and Leeds West & Pudsey MP Rachel Reeves also visited Mayor Brabin’s office last week. The mayor stressed that funding was not just dependent on central government but about partnerships with private business and other funding streams.

How to have your say

More details on the proposed network can be found here. You can provide feedback during the consultation period, until Monday, 30 September 2024.

You can provide your feedback on the Leeds to Bradford route by attending one of the public drop-in or online webinar events and completing a survey. Consultation events will be held in West Leeds at the following dates:

• 30 July: 4pm-7pm, St Thomas’ Church Hall, Stanningley
• 3 August: 3pm-6pm, St John’s Church Hall, Wortley
• 17 August: 12-4pm, Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley (boardroom)
• 24 August: 12pm-4pm, Armley Tennis Club
• 7 September: 9am-1pm, Pudsey Leisure Centre
• 11 September: 3pm-7pm, Armley Library/Community Hub
• 18 September: 3pm-6pm, Bramley Community Centre.

You can also provide feedback by:

• completing the online survey. You can choose to only answer the sections on the Bradford Line if you prefer.
• requesting a consultation pack which includes a printed copy of the consultation brochure, feedback survey and a FREEPOST envelope. You can do this by contacting us by FREEPOST (FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM WYCA), by email (masstransit@westyorks-ca.gov.uk(External link)), or telephone: 0113 245 7676 (MetroLine)
• emailing MassTransit@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
• writing and posting your paper survey to FREEPOST CONSULTATION TEAM WYCA.

Online webinars will also be held. During the webinars you will have the opportunity to hear about the consultation and ask your own questions to the project team. These will be held on:

• Leeds and Bradford Lines: Monday 29 July 12.30pm-2pm: Registration link.
• Leeds Line: Thursday 5 September 5.30pm-7pm: Registration link.
• Bradford Line: Monday 9 September 5.30pm-7pm: Registration link.

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