The West Yorkshire Mass Transit system: a litmus test for British delivery

The final days of 2025 provided a compelling bit of political theatre for the infrastructure sector. On the very day the Planning and Infrastructure Bill received Royal Assent - an Act designed to modernise the consenting regime and reform compulsory purchase powers to accelerate growth - West Yorkshire’s mass transit ambitions were recalibrated following a government review. Though not directly linked, the synchronicity of these events adds a unique shade of colour to the new year, suggesting that while the legislative framework for growth is now technically in place, the practicalities of delivery remain an obstacle.

The decision to re-sequence the business case and planning phases of developing the Leeds-Bradford lines, pushing the completion of the network into the late 2030s, represents a significant pinch point in the government’s regional mission. This system, which aims to provide a comprehensive network of tram lines connecting Leeds and Bradford with key hubs like St James’s Hospital, is more than a transport project: it is a social necessity.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority had hoped to plan the detail of the route while also submitting the business case for the system to the government, but has agreed to separate those two elements. An independent review has resulted in the implementation of a “robust, sequential timeline” which aims “to reduce risks and ensure that the project is put firmly on the path for successful delivery”, the authority said. Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin expressed her frustration at this new "sequential" approach, yet remains resolute in her commitment to begin preparatory work, insisting that we will still see "spades in the ground by 2028."

At the heart of the matter lies a fundamental interrogation of delivery risk. The failure of HS2 is the obvious point of comparison, not least because it promised transformative gains in speed and capacity in what would have been a major win for the North. Its collapse illustrates how ambitious commitments can unravel, and the West Yorkshire case now echoes that challenge, raising doubts about the ability to turn vision into reality. What’s at stake here is not marginal improvement, but the basic connectivity and economic uplift long promised - benefits that remain out of reach. Leeds, a notable European outlier as a major city without a metro system, underscores the need to demonstrate that political will and financial commitment can deliver where past cases have faltered.

As we look ahead, the complexity of these schemes cannot be understated. While the transit system is not being pursued as a single Development Consent Order, its various constituent parts will likely require DCOs in their own right as the project

develops. The challenge for 2026 and beyond is to ensure that a national inability to shoulder risk in return for necessary regional reward, does not inadvertently stifle the very growth the Planning and Infrastructure Act was designed to accelerate.

Ultimately, the success of the West Yorkshire transit system will serve as a test for Britain’s ability to reconcile national risk appetite with the urgent requirements of regional connectivity – and to turn lofty legislative ambition into tangible progress.