West Country mass transit plans back on track?
The idea appears to be back on, but without any underground element
Plans for a mass transport system across the West Country appear to be back on track, nine months after our region's mayor refused to spend any more money on the idea of an underground.
Back in October 2023, West of England Mayor Dan Norris said he wouldn't use tax payers cash on an idea he believes isn't possible.
However, he and council leaders in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire now look set to progress new plans to the next stage.
A West of England Combined Authority report said: “Due to the strategic importance of this project and the contribution it will make in achieving economic growth and environmental improvements for the region, it is vital the project progresses.
"The preliminary costings included in the strategic outline case for options that involve significant tunnelling are substantial.
“Given the current financial constraints nationally, with the chancellor’s speech on July 8 confirming that the new government had inherited the ‘worst set of circumstances since the Second World War’, combined with the lack of a long-term funding settlement, could be considered to be unaffordable.
“Therefore, as part of a pragmatic approach, officers will develop proposals to enable the progression to outline business case stage, of route options that do not involve significant tunnelling for consideration, by the committee in September 2024.”
Approval of that idea is likely to be granted by Mr Norris and the three council leaders at a meeting next Friday (26th July).
For years Bristol’s politicians debated whether to build an underground rail network, favoured by former Labour mayor Marvin Rees, or a tram network, backed by the Greens — who largely took control of Bristol City Council in May.
Now that Mr Rees has gone, trams appear more likely.
There are three main reasons why the region’s politicians want to build a mass transit network.
They are that:
- Giving people an alternative to driving would reduce pollution, including carbon emissions which cause climate change and nitrogen dioxide which harms human health.
- Providing faster and more reliable routes would boost the region’s economy, which is hamstrung by congestion.
- Connecting left-behind parts of the region would create better access to jobs and education.
The underground was first proposed by the former Bristol mayor in 2017.
Mr Rees argued trams would force some main roads, like Gloucester Road through Bristol to be closed to cars, pushing traffic onto smaller, alternative and all round less appropriate routes.