Leeds appeals for mass transit system ideas

Authorities in Leeds admire Potsdam’s autonomous tram system (Image: Siemens)

Authorities in Leeds have launched an international hunt for experts to help develop a mass transit system for the city.

Leeds, which has a population of three million people, is the biggest metropolitan area in Europe without mass transit.

Now, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority wants to hear from companies and consortia across the globe about the latest techniques and technologies, including options such as light rail, tram, or bus rapid transit.

The city envisages routes of between 10km and 30km crossing the region and stops every kilometre or so, with 200 to 300 people should be able to get on and off at every stop. It wants the system delivered by 20333 in order to benefit from other major infrastructure plans such as HS2, which is currently under review, as well as from Northern Powerhouse Rail.

For this market testing exercise, the authority is working with the University of Huddersfield’s Institute for Railway Research and University of Leeds’ Institute for Transport Studies. 

Systems the authority admires include a trackless road-train in Zhuzhou, China, an autonomous tram in Potsdam, Germany (pictured), and a hydrogen fuel-cell tram in Qingdao, China.

Kim Groves, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee, said: “The Leeds City Region economy is forecast to grow rapidly in the coming years, creating thousands of new jobs.

“There is no doubt that if the Leeds City Region is going to achieve its full economic potential while at the same time meeting the ambitious environmental goals we have set ourselves, we need a modern mass transit system to connect people quickly and cleanly with areas of growth.”

Interested parties must email [email protected] by Thursday 31 October 2019 at 4pm BST at the latest.

A prospectus and details of the market testing process are available here.