News / Transport
Chancellor to promise £800m investment in transport across Bristol area
Trams are “on the table” for Bristol and its surrounding areas according to the West of England mayor.
Helen Godwin said that “it’s finally time to deliver a mass transit system that people can rely on” ahead of an expected announcement from chancellor Rachel Reeves that the WECA area will receive an £800m investment in its transport system.
Bristol24/7 understands that £200m from this funding would enable the planning and delivery of a mass transit system, a further £200m could improve and extend the region’s bus network, and £150m would go towards rail improvements with the possibility of four trains per hour across the growing suburban rail network.
In a speech in Manchester on Wednesday, Reeves is expected to announce billions of pounds of investment in transport infrastructure across England.
“A Britain that is better off cannot rely on a handful of places forging ahead of the rest of the country,” Reeves is expected to say, adding that the “result of such thinking has been growth created in too few places, felt by too few people and wide gaps between regions, and between our cities and towns”.
Bristol’s most innovative transport project in recent years is the Metrobus which has a few completely pointless sections of guided bus lanes built in order to get government funding – photo: Bristol24/7
Godwin said: “Our region has a strong economy overall but we know that congestion has held the West of England back from achieving its full potential.
“We’ve been stuck in the slow lane on transport for too long.
“Our potential additional contribution to the national economy is enormous. It’s time to invest in the West and unlock that growth.
“I promised to work with government and get the West of England moving.
“Three-quarters of a billion pounds of new money for transport will do just that, as we start a new chapter for our region.
“Together, we need to accelerate plans to secure better buses, deliver more trains and railway stations, and give local people proper alternatives to their cars.
“Trams, Metrobuses, rail, light rail and guided buses are all on the table to make that a reality.
“Over the years, as a region, we’ve talked too much about mass transit and delivered too little.
“It’s finally time to deliver a mass transit system that people can rely on.
“Working with the new government and with genuine collaboration between local councils, it’s time for real change.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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