Leeds trams: Mass transit plans given boost as Rachel Reeves pledges £2.1 billion in transport funding

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has today (Wednesday, June 4) announced the allocation of £2.1 billion of local transport funding to West Yorkshire which will enable the Combined Authority to get spades in the ground on West Yorkshire's tram project by 2028.

The first phase of West Yorkshire's Mass Transit network will create two tram lines - a Leeds Line, running from St James’s University Hospital through the city centre to the White Rose, and a Bradford Line, connecting Bradford and Leeds city centres.

It represents the region’s biggest infrastructure project in decades and will form part of an integrated transport network, under the single Weaver Network branding, connecting bus, tram and train services as well as walking and cycling routes.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “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.”

The Combined Authority will publish its preferred route options later this year, with a full public consultation planned during 2026. More than two thirds of those surveyed in West Yorkshire so far have backed the Bradford Line plans, while more than three quarters supported the proposed Leeds Line.

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Plans for a new tram system in Leeds were first proposed in 1991 - more than three decades after the city's original tramway was scrapped. Today’s funding boost will see spades in the ground by 2028, with the intention for the first trams to be operating before the mid-2030s.

The Chancellor’s West Yorkshire's 'transport for city regions' funding for 2027-2032 will also support other vital transport infrastructure projects across the region including new bus stations in Bradford and Wakefield and access improvements to unlock regeneration across six key neighbourhoods bordering on Leeds city centre.