Road, Rail & Access Issues

[Bigman]

What really hacks me off is that they recently announced a new station in Liverpool which will open in 2027. I bet we don't have White Rose, Airport Parkway, Thorpe Park or Elland anywhere close to opening by then.

 

[Finger66]

Highly unlikely as this is Leeds and WY we are talking. High time we became more proactive and forward thinking to aid further growth and development

 

[Cookridge resident]

perhaps leeds will actually lose the crown as biggest city in europe without a mass transit system at last - although we have been thro this many times before so i won't celebrate until we see actual trams running.

btw, all todays announcements amounts were already done by the last government as the "compensation" for the region when the northern leg of HS2 was cancelled. it never ceases to amaze me how governments of all colours love re-announcing the same things and pretending they are giving something new.

The previous govt had 14 years to actually do it and didn’t. As I said, judge them by their actions, not words. The giveaway announcements in the last days of Sunak were a desperate and transparent attempt to mitigate the coming electoral disaster.
He was also filmed in private saying that he had changed the way that funding was distributed, away from deprived suburbs to leafy, wealthier areas.
At least we can judge this govt on whether it is happening before the next election. If it doesn't, vote them out.
Hard to see how this is anything other than good news for the North, IF it actually happens.
Time will tell.

 

[KARFA]

The previous govt had 14 years to actually do it and didn’t. As I said, judge them by their actions, not words.

and those of us with longer memories will recall the government from 1997-2010 promised money for what was then supertram and then withdrew it, and there are examples before then when the hand was extended only to be withdrawn.

as i said, this isn't new money - it is the money earmarked after hs2 cancellation. and both sides play that game of re-announcing the same things several times to pretend they are doing something new.

to the extent my comments are political - i would say parties of all colours have been equally crap, hence my comment i will only celebrate when i see actual trams running.

 

[Cookridge resident]

and those of us with longer memories will recall the government from 1997-2010 promised money for what was then supertram and then withdrew it, and there are examples before then when the hand was extended only to be withdrawn.

as i said, this isn't new money - it is the money earmarked after hs2 cancellation. and both sides play that game of re-announcing the same things several times to pretend they are doing something new.

to the extent my comments are political - i would say parties of all colours have been equally crap, hence my comment i will only celebrate when i see actual trams running.

We broadly agree. Judge them on what they do, not what they say.

 

[White Heather]

and those of us with longer memories will recall the government from 1997-2010 promised money for what was then supertram and then withdrew it, and there are examples before then when the hand was extended only to be withdrawn.

as i said, this isn't new money - it is the money earmarked after hs2 cancellation. and both sides play that game of re-announcing the same things several times to pretend they are doing something new.

to the extent my comments are political - i would say parties of all colours have been equally crap, hence my comment i will only celebrate when i see actual trams running.

Personally, I find it hard to even consider this as a tram for Leeds. The vast majority of the city still wont have anything other than buses.

There isn't a train line between the Horsforth/Harrogate line in the NW and the York line to the East, yet there is no tram planned yet for that entire part of the city, other than a relatively short stretch up to St. James hospital. If they insisted on a line to Bradford, then why run it along basically the same route as the buses and existing train line? Here was an opportunity to have a tram line that linked BOTH cities with LBA, and a line from Leeds via Headingley, LBA, Rawdon, and either Apperley Bridge or Shipley would have vastly improved transport connections in an area where bus links are poor. It would also have provided mass transit to both the Headingley rugby and cricket stadia and given LBA exactly what it needs. But no. Another route via Armley, Bramley, Stanningley and Pudsey to add to already frequent and 24 hour buses, and regular trains. So predictable trying to provide something for Bradford when public transport between the cities is already superior to any other part of Leeds.

A West Yorkshire mass transit system is in no way what Leeds as a city needs or deserves. The Mayor has watered down what Leeds was originally getting and is now spending huge amounts on a system that's useless to most of the city. The airport should have been a priority. If Elland Road is on the tram route then why not Headingley? And in Bradford, why not Valley Parade? The whole thing feels predictable and short sighted and if this is a mass transit system for Leeds, then it's barely worth waiting for unless you live along the chosen routes.

I know there's supposed to be more to come, but not in my lifetime. I'm totally underwhelmed by what is proposed.

 

[Cookridge resident]

Yes, I agree in the main. Personally I’d have preferred an underground but we are where we are I guess.
There has been talk of this being an initial stage but I’m as sceptical as you are.
A line from Adel through Headingley has been mooted but I don’t think I’ll ever see the benefits either.

 

[HX3]

Meantime in London the Elizabeth line alone got £18.8 billion. Per head of population Yorkshire and the Humber fares really poorly. All this sh*te about levelling up really irritates me.
I wonder if they may opt for some GLT (guided light trams) or so-called trackless trams/optically guided buses? That may compliment proper tram lines, but may assist in rollinG out to those areas you mention WH.

 

[JRP]

Totally agree with WH comments
Although the money is welcome the Bradford line is a massive waste of money 2 rail lines from Leeds with frequent services so why add a tram

 

[The Pole]

If it goes ahead the tram will serve the areas of leeds that don't need it/deserve it and not north West Leeds.
Read into that what you may.

 

[Aviador]

If it goes ahead the tram will serve the areas of leeds that don't need it/deserve it and not north West Leeds.
Read into that what you may.

I couldn't agree more. Although a tram option on the Harrogate line to the airport might be worth looking at, a similar Metrolink line between Manchester and Oldham is incredibly slow and I think it added over half an hour onto jearney times so we need to be careful what we wish for.

 

[JRP]

Should have had a tram line that went up to Moortown then across to Roundhay and back into Leeds via Harehills amd st James so kind of a north Leeds loop
Then should have had one that went headingley lawnswood holt park LBA that probably went through town towards Hunslet and Middleton and the only route I agree with is the line via Elland Road to white rose

Anyway it’s Tracy’s baby so let her waste her money and cause massive traffic carnage well they build it

Would have been better building a underground

 

[The Pole]

No Kirkstall horsforth rawdon Guiseley route? One of the most congested and poorly served bus routes known to man

 

[KARFA]

we have to go with what we can get atm. I think once we have one line, and it is shown to be a success, it will be easier to extend and get more in the future. both manchester and sheffield have been extended since their initial versions.

it is easier to go from 1 to 2, than 0 to 1.

 

[Snackbar]

I’m still sceptical that even this initial line will ever get delivered - remember this is WYCA who can’t even mange the project to deliver the White Rose Station or move the LBA parkway station forward……Expect it to be delivered significantly over budget and far later then planned (if at all)!!

 

[rmack]

Edinburgh's first line from the airport to the city centre cost about £1b, now extended to Newhaven. One possible new line would go from the north of city to the south (hospital area) and the projected cost -£2b.
So West Yorkshires £2.1 b might not go too far!

 

[White Heather]

Edinburgh's first line from the airport to the city centre cost about £1b, now extended to Newhaven. One possible new line would go from the north of city to the south (hospital area) and the projected cost -£2b.
So West Yorkshires £2.1 b might not go too far!

Exactly. Previously a system confined to Leeds was too expensive but now the Mayor wants to build one covering West Yorkshire, using miles and miles of track. It doesn't take a genius to work out that what's being proposed will ultimately dwarf the original 'too expensive' Leeds scheme. Costs always go up once they've started the process of CPOs and actual construction so I too will believe it when it's there to see. It only needs another change of Government and it could all change again.

 

[The Pole]

I either won't need to use it for my commute or be no longer breathing before the first track is laid!

 

[White Heather]

I either won't need to use it for my commute or be no longer breathing before the first track is laid!

You and me both. I'm 5.5 miles from the nearest tram route.

 

[LBA4EVER]

Should have had a tram line that went up to Moortown then across to Roundhay and back into Leeds via Harehills amd st James so kind of a north Leeds loop
Then should have had one that went headingley lawnswood holt park LBA that probably went through town towards Hunslet and Middleton and the only route I agree with is the line via Elland Road to white rose

Anyway it’s Tracy’s baby so let her waste her money and cause massive traffic carnage well they build it

Would have been better building a underground

When you look at a map of leeds the urban areas tend to extend out more to the north, NW and east so yes i agree one line that makes it way upto moortown and a line that heads sort of towards harehills and onto seacroft.
If truths known we could do with a dozen tram lines inc one to LBA as the city has fallen so far behind due to lack of gov funds, poor planning resulting in useless road and junction construction, poor bus services and a council with no vision that get taken in by the eco green brigade.
Still todays news is a step in the right direction and of course it will be fab seeing trams in leeds!