TramForward welcomes transport developments in Leeds

TramForward welcomes the announcement from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority that they are progressing plans for “mass transit” in the Leeds City Region. With a population of three million, Leeds is the largest metropolitan area in Europe without an urban transit system, a situation which Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently described as “madness”.

Following the failure of previous projects in Leeds for first a tram system and subsequently a trolleybus system, the Authority is wisely seeking advice from experts (transport system promoters, manufacturers, suppliers, constructors, engineers, developers and operators) from across the world.

TramForward believes that steel wheels on steel rail as provided by trams or TramTrains offer the best option for major urban transport corridors. Trams can bring about a significant reduction in air pollution, including that deriving from non-tailpipe emissions (NEE), being themselves free of tailpipe emissions and producing very low NEEs as well as through their proven ability to achieve substantial modal switch from private cars.

TramForward is confident that this is the first step in the citizens of Leeds at last achieving an urban transport system that they can be proud of.