Boss of West Yorkshire's £2bn mass transit system could come from abroad, claims Leeds councillor

Early plans for the scheme, which could see a tram or light rail system link up West Yorkshire’s major towns and cities, were first drawn up a year ago, and regional leaders since then have been seeking funding and expertise to help with the scheme.

More than £800m towards the work has already been pledged, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) is now set to appoint someone to oversee the work.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “We all know mass transit is a significant programme of work for the Combined Authority. A new mass transit system is going to be a key element linking communities with quick, reliable service, integrated with cycling, walking, bus and rail.

“It is a bold investment, a transformational transport system that will benefit many generations to come. We need to move at pace and to get the best possible outcomes. We need to resource the work.

“I am keen to bring in a senior person in to lead the work who has experience of working in mass transit.”

A report by WYCA officers recommended the authority appoint a new Director of Mass Transit to oversee the work.

Leeds councillor Matthew Robinson (Con) said: “Nobody disagrees with the fact that mass transit needs to be delivered across West Yorkshire.

“Are we seeking to look internationally? There is a huge opportunity and the right person in the right post can deliver something quite remarkable.”

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According to the Government’s integrated rail plan, published last November, the cost to build the initial network – expected to take around 10 years – is likely to exceed £2bn.

So far, WYCA has been allocated £830m for the work via the Government’s city region sustainable transport settlement, and is hoping to be given an extra £200m from Government for development.

The paper added: “The proposal is to appoint a Director of the Mass Transit Programme to lead the programme development of the West Yorkshire Mass Transit scheme and to support an expanded team.

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“Ideally the Director would have experience of working on mass transit systems, particularly taking projects from concept through development and planning phases. Having someone who knows the issues when projects are in delivery can also help ensure we plan for these in the development stages.

“This is a competitive market and a fairly niche set of skills given the number of mass transit systems in existence. However, creating this team at pace is a priority if the project is to continue with momentum and to reach the milestones set out to Government that the funding is predicated on.

“It is therefore proposed that in the interim this post is filled by a private sector consultant or contractor who can continue the work and support the building of the team whilst a full recruitment to the post can take place.”

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