Urban Transit
Developing an advanced Leeds City Region system that supports its priorities of raising productivity, delivering inclusive growth and addressing the climate emergency through clean growth.
Since August 2019, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority has been seeking ideas and experience from across the world to aid the development of a mass transit system for the Leeds City Region.
With a population of three million and an economy of £69.6 billion GVA, the Leeds City Region remains the largest metropolitan area in Europe without an urban transit system.
The Combined Authority is developing proposals for an advanced Leeds City Region system that supports its priorities of raising productivity, delivering inclusive growth and addressing the climate emergency through clean growth.
Working with acknowledged experts in the field, the University of Huddersfield’s Institute for Railway Research and University of Leeds’ Institute for Transport Studies, the Combined Authority now wants to hear from companies and consortia across the globe about the latest techniques and technologies that could help meet the City Region’s future transport needs..
Around 120 organisations from around the world responded to the Combined Authority’s joint call, with the University of Huddersfield’s Institute for Railway Research and University of Leeds’ Institute for Transport Studies, for companies and consortia across the globe to tell it about the latest techniques and technologies that could help meet the City Region’s future transport needs.
The questions for discussion included whether new Urban Transit systems should be designed for autonomous vehicle operation and the prospects of using hydrogen or battery power to deliver a zero-emission system to help meet the Combined Authority’s commitment to combating climate change.
Download the final report
At their meeting on 13 March 2020, members of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee will be asked to consider a report containing a summary of the responses to its recent worldwide appeal for ideas and experience for the development of a mass transit system for the Leeds City Region.
Included in the report, Advanced Urban Transit Technologies: Market Testing, is a range of responses under the main themes of Propulsion Technologies, Autonomously Operated Mass Transit Systems and Mass Transit and addressing the Climate Emergency.
Download the final market testing report