West Yorkshire textiles stalwarts to upholster new Weaver Network bus fleet

A West Yorkshire manufacturing firm will produce the distinctive seat covers for the Weaver Network’s buses, putting the region’s centuries-old textile heritage at the heart of the new-look transport network.

Huddersfield-based Camira Fabrics will make the moquette for the new buses, combining its 200 years of transport textile expertise with a patchwork design inspired by the people and places of West Yorkshire.

From heavy woollen for blankets in Huddersfield, to Shoddy and Worsted cloth for garments in Ossett and Morley, West Yorkshire was the centre of the worldwide trade for textiles during the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

But while the region’s towering stone chimneys no longer smoke, textiles remain a huge industry in the region, employing 10,000 people and contributing £32bn to the UK economy.

Camira Fabrics traces its West Yorkshire roots back more than 200 years but is also at the forefront of the region’s modern textiles industry. Its sites in Mirfield and Meltham have exported seat coverings for transport systems across the globe – from Sydney Rail to the Los Angeles Metro.

Made from wool sourced from British Wool in Bradford, the new moquette will be rolled out on Weaver Network buses when they start to hit the streets in Spring 2027.

Design influences range from African wax prints to Yorkshire tweeds, nods to artists like David Hockney, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, and motifs drawn from the region’s landscape.

The Weaver Network is West Yorkshire's new, integrated transport network - joining up buses, trains, walking, wheeling and cycling under one name, making it easier to travel across the region.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “The Weaver Network belongs to West Yorkshire – that’s why the seat pattern is inspired by the people, places and culture that shape our region.

“Our buses will literally carry the fabric of West Yorkshire wherever they go – and will be felt by millions as they weave their way through our better-connected region.”  

The firm’s Business Manager for Transport Fabrics, Honor Clough, said: “We provide 100 per cent of the fabrics for the London Underground - so, if you ever sit down on the tube, you’ll be sitting on Camira Fabrics from West Yorkshire!”

“Organisations choose us because we meet high standards in flammability and durability. We have our own research team, and we try to stay at the forefront of design and innovation.”

Camira’s Continuous Improvement Manager, Victor Smyth, said: “It’s always nice to be involved in a fabric that’s going to be used in our local area. It’s a heritage thing for me – my parents worked in textiles, so it’s in my blood.”

 “Yarn resilience is important for the seats, as is getting the colours right and making a seat people want to sit on. Textiles are touchy-feely, so if a seat cover feels nice to look at and touch, people will want to sit on it.”

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Weaver Network-branded buses will be introduced onto West Yorkshire’s roads in phases during 2027 and 2028, forming the region’s first publicly controlled bus network in more than 40 years.