27.04.17
WYCA receives £173m boost to develop local rail improvements
Leeds city-region has been handed a £173.5m funding package from the government to go towards drawing up proposals for future rail developments amongst other transport improvements for the region.
It is hoped that the money will lead to commuters seeing more reliable journeys, better information and a more modern transport system.
The funding will cover a four-year period, as the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) will receive £21m in 2017-18, followed by payments of £48.7m, £49.1m and £54.7m in the following years.
Transport minister Andrew Jones said: “This investment will make public transport in Leeds more accessible and reduce journey times.
“Better transport facilities don’t just help people get around, they help them get on – connecting them to jobs and helping to deliver economic growth in the north.”
Cllr Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, said she was delighted that DfT had given its support for plans which “have the potential to transform public transport in Leeds” with improvements that can be delivered in the coming years.
Those priorities include, according to Cllr Blake, making it “quicker and easier for everyone to be able to move around the city as well as connecting people and businesses to places and jobs, increasing productivity and supporting major economic growth areas”.
In addition, Cllr Keith Wakefield, WYCA transport chair, said the plans will build on the successful developments on the county’s rail and bus networks, and are in line with the combined authority’s aim of developing a modern integrated transport network that benefits the whole of Leeds city-region.
The funding will be welcome by passengers in the region in anticipation of works developing Leeds station, now known as the Yorkshire Hub, ahead of the area incorporating HS2 and HS3.
Leeds was also given a £270m package of cash at the end of last year to open three new railway stations as part of a new transport strategy.
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