BACK ON TRACK

HOW TO BUILD NEW TRAMS IN

THE UK AND GET BRITAIN MOVING
Plus, a vision for a new Leeds
 CONTENTS

4 Executive Summary

6 Why does Britain need

a tram renaissance?

Project Team
11 British trams are too expensive,
here’s how to make them cheaper

20
Sam Dumitriu
Head of Policy, Britain Remade How to fund a tram renaissance
Ben Hopkinson
Policy Researcher, Britain Remade

Nicholas Boys Smith

22
Chairman, Create Streets

David Milner Leeds 2035 and Leeds 2050

Managing Director, Create Streets

George Payiatis
Senior Urban Designer, Create Streets

31
Ed Leahy
Urban Designer, Create Streets
Conclusion
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the following people and organisations
for their insights and feedback: Amey UK, Ian Brown, Wayne Cockrell,
Sue Flack, Martin Fleetwood, James Hammett, Tom Forth, Martin
Hamilton, George Hazel, Colin Knight, Harry Rushworth, Anna
Shindler, and Ben Southwood.

Many thanks to the wider Britain Remade and Create Streets teams for
their dedicated work on this report, especially Tom Noble, Lauren Botterill
and Robert Kwolek.
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • This currently makes utility companies sceptical of
leaving utilities beneath tramways.
new tram. The Government should remove the requirement
of Transport Secretary approval by fully devolving the sign
• Tram services should terminate at the two stops nearest any off down to the local authority level.
disruption caused by utility access, enabling a quick walk
between stops. Leeds 2035 and Leeds 2050
Trams are experiencing a renaissance around the world, with 21 French cities building a
Leeds is the largest city in Europe without rapid transit. Around
tramway this century. 60 German cities now have a tram. China has built 35 tramlines since 2010 • The Government should update the statutory instrument
830,000 live in the wider metropolitan area and must choose
and even America has 27 light rail systems, the larger counterpart to trams. Britain has fallen The Street Work (Sharing of Costs of Works) Regulation 2000
to rebalance the cost of diverting utilities from tram projects between insufficient local trains, crowded buses, or creaking
behind. Only seven British cities have a tram, which means that the UK is missing out on the
to utility companies. and congested roads. New homes tend to be low density,
many benefits that tramways bring. land- hungry and car-dependent. Poor public transport is often
• Future British tram projects should study and, provided it
withdrawn when s106 funding ends.
The case for trams encourage a pipeline of projects, devolve the current Transport is feasible, implement cheaper shallower trackbeds used
and Works Act Order process that approves new projects and in cities like Portland and Vienna, and consider Coventry’s No other European city of this size accepts this. Here is our
Trams have a higher capacity, lower emissions, and better ride
fix current utility guidelines that make tram projects move experimental very light rail. vision for a transport system which would deliver 39 miles of
quality than either cars or buses. A single lane of a city street
almost all pipes and wires, while paying 92.5% of the cost. tram lines; 21 by 2035 and an additional 18 miles of tram lines
could carry 1,500 people per hour in cars, 8,000 people in buses,
How to fund Britain’s new trams by 2050 to serve Leeds’s citizens, boost productivity, unlock
or up to 22,000 people if it was used as a tramway. With more To help encourage standardisation and develop a pipeline
The UK currently has one of the most centralised funding sites for new homes and offices and deliver beautiful ‘gentle
doors, longer carriages, larger stops, and signal priority, trams of projects:
systems in the world for new local transport infrastructure. density’ development throughout the city so that Leeds can
can easily move thousands of people along a busy corridor in
• The Department for Transport (DfT) should create a This encourages higher infrastructure costs because the group grow and flourish.
Britain’s cities. Trams can combine the capacity advantages of
specialist delivery unit responsible for trams, metro and light that is funding the proposal (the Treasury) is different from the
trains with the immediacy and lower cost of buses. It is an unapologetically big and bold vision that responds
rail within its new public transport directorship. group that is designing the system (local leaders). Making the to the ambitions of national and local government. This is
Trams lower emissions by encouraging motorists to switch right trade-offs between price, delivery and design becomes
• This team should work with industry bodies to develop a essential to permit between 8,800 to 17,760 new homes by
to public transport for some or all of their journey, with 30% harder to achieve. Instead we should hand power back to those
national tram standard modelled after the German common 2035 and 19,455 to 38,910 gentle density homes by 2050
of Nottingham tram users switching from their car to public with skin in the game. Funding powers for local transport
set of standards, their VDV Blue Books and BOStrab. as well as a dense web of shops, offices and other uses.
transport. The tram in Tours, France has led to 25,000 fewer should be in the hands of the local decision makers, and new
• This unit should encourage replicable and low cost This transport system can in turn, be funded by the value
cars on the city’s streets and an annual 40,000 tonne reduction trams should principally be funded by the people who benefit
engineering solutions and capture lessons where trams uplift associated with transport-linked development and
in CO2 emissions. Trams do not produce tailpipe emissions, the most from lines opening.
were delivered cheaply both in the UK and abroad, as well as intensification, and is an approach that would benefit other
unlike diesel buses, and only produce negligible particulate
advocate for cheaper, simpler tram stop designs. To fund a tram renaissance: cities in the UK.
emissions, unlike buses’ rubber tyres.
• Additionally, the Competition and Markets Authority should
With reliable and predictable service patterns, trams offer a • Central government should enable councils to collect
issue guidance explicitly allowing cooperation of tram
better commute, and the visibility and ease of understanding stamp duty uplifts for houses sold near tram stops and
promoters to jointly procure new tram vehicles.
service patterns encourages more users, especially tourists. add targeted council tax precepts, subject to a referendum.
To speed up the planning process for new trams, which Councils should also levy Business Rate Supplements on
With people voting with their feet when it comes to transport,
can take up to 14 years and costs millions of pounds, the businesses near the new line, with the requirement to get
trams outperform buses. Munich’s East Tangent tram enjoyed
Government should: approval from the majority of authorities within a combined
50% greater ridership than the bus it replaced.
• Devolve the Transport and Works Act Order approval authority removed.
Outside London, Britain’s cities are not meeting their high
process to allow regional mayors to sign off on new projects • Councils should engage in Tax Increment Financing to
potential. This is in large part because fewer British cities are
instead of the Transport Secretary. borrow against future revenues from the uplift in property
served by rapid transport than any other wealthy western
• Remove the requirement to complete environmental values around the line. The Government should expand
country, including America. Without rapid transport, fewer
statements for areas where the tram runs on existing these powers to council tax precepts and stamp duty uplifts.
people are able to reach the city centre easily and take up jobs,
which best match their skill sets. Trams can also encourage roads or through built up areas. • To develop in-house capacity and give local authorities the
densification of city centres and regeneration of distressed To avoid the costly process of moving too many utilities in ability to kickstart the development of tram projects while
areas, like the Salford Quays area of Greater Manchester, the road: encouraging a national pipeline of projects, the Government
which was formerly run-down docks and now is a rejuvenated should create similar grants to America’s RAISE, TIGER, and
• The Government should update the Code of Practice to give BUILD grants.
business centre.
clear rules on which utilities to move, reducing the cost and
• The Government should also allow Metro Mayors to
time of negotiation with utility companies.
The cost challenge and how to fix it levy an extra penny on employer’s national insurance,
• The Department for Transport should adopt a nationwide modelled after France’s Versement Transport. This should
The biggest issue holding Britain back from the benefits that waiver specific for utilities left in place on tram routes for be conditional on ring fencing it for new infrastructure and
trams bring is cost. The European average cost per mile of Section 82 of the NRSWA 1991, which currently burdens approval at a local referendum.
tramway is £42mn. The average British cost is more than twice utility companies with liabilities if tram services are
as high at £87mn. To make tram projects more affordable in • Future tram projects should look to Nottingham’s example
suspended because of a need to access the utilities.
the UK the Government needs to set common standards and and introduce Workplace Parking Levies directly tied to the

4 BRITAIN REMADE & CREATE STREETS BACK ON TRACK

5
CHAPTER ONE

WHY DOES BRITAIN NEED The Leeds SuperTram Act of 1993, gave the West Yorkshire
Passenger Transport Executive and Leeds City Council all
There is significant potential for new and restored tram
networks to grow local economies, revive communities, and

A TRAM RENAISSANCE? the powers necessary to authorise construction. But it took

nine years to get funding and then a doubling of costs led the
get us to net zero. Back on Track is our plan to cut the cost
of building new tramways and devolve funding and approval
Transport Minister to scrap the project in 2005. power to usher in a British tram renaissance.

The high cost of building trams in the UK and a lack of consistent

The fall and rise of trams Right now, trams are more visible and admired around the funding have hindered Leeds’s attempts to build a tram in the
world than they have been since the early-20th century. past – holding back the economy of the 800,000 person strong
Britain was the first country in the world to build railways and
However, in Britain, trams remain marginal politically and metropolitan area. Chapter Four sets out our vision for three new
tramlines. The horse-drawn Swansea and Mumbles Railway
barely in the public eye. In the UK, only seven cities have a tramlines in Leeds and how delivering mass transit can spur a
was the world’s first passenger tram when it opened in 1807.
tram, and many large cities like Leeds, Bristol, and Cardiff lack prosperous and beautiful future for the city.
In 1860, Birkenhead, over the River Mersey from Liverpool,
became the first town in Europe to operate a street tramway, a mass transit system altogether. At the time of writing, not
still horse-drawn. Leeds introduced Europe’s first overhead one of the Department for Transport’s 18,245 staff has direct
electric tram service in 1891. Shortly after the turn of the responsibility for promoting new trams and light rail.
century, when electrification made trams much cheaper and Cities across Europe and America are returning to trams
faster to run, trams were ubiquitous across Britain and the because of their higher capacity, environmental benefits,
world. In the 1920s, there were over 300 tramway operators in improved ride quality and the prosperity boost they can bring.
the UK, running 14,000 trams1 across thousands of lines in over The rest of Chapter One will answer the question of why cities A potential vision for Leeds South Bank.
200 towns and cities.2 around the world are choosing to build new tramways and what
Yet all these cities, except Blackpool, would go on to tear up the economic benefits for Britain’s towns and cities could be if
their tram tracks. The rise of private cars and improvements in we joined the global tram renaissance.
buses meant that city planners thought that trams were just Why hasn’t Britain followed suit? One factor is cost. A new
taking up too much space on Britain’s streets. They were the mile of tramway in Britain costs £87mn, more than double
past. Cars were the future. High maintenance costs as the first the European average of £42mn. The previous Government
generation trams aged discouraged further investment. committed £2.5bn towards a West Yorkshire tram. At current
Yet that didn’t spell the end of trams in the UK. Britain UK prices, this could build 29 miles of tramway. If we got costs
has begun to restore its trams, with projects in Edinburgh, down to European averages, we could build 59 miles, and at
Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, London, and the West German costs, we could build a massive 102 mile network,
Midlands. But some continental competitors have seen a full which would be the seventh longest in the world. Reducing the
tram renaissance over the past generation. Cities that had cost of building new trams is essential if we are to follow France,
torn up their tram tracks in the 1950s realised they had made Germany, and the US in having a tram renaissance. Chapter Two
a strategic mistake. Twenty-one French cities have built a will delve into these cost challenges and the policy solutions
tramway system this century. Sixty German cities now Britain should take to build trams cheaply.
have trams. Another challenge is funding. In Britain, new transport
Further afield, China has built 35 tramlines since 2010, with ten infrastructure is almost always funded by HM Treasury,
more currently being built. Even the United States, land of the meaning the national taxpayer. Other countries like France,
automobile, has been investing in new trams and their larger Spain, and America have local funding mechanisms, which allow
counterpart, light rail. America now has 27 light rail systems, local leaders to get on with building new projects instead of
the most in the world. having to continually appeal to the Treasury for further funding.
So Chapter Three will offer our policy suggestions to fund
France’s building spree means that every French urban Britain’s tram renaissance by linking funding to benefits.
area with a population above 150,000 now has a tram or
metro. In Britain we’ve failed to keep pace. Thirty British cities Leeds is Europe’s largest city without a tram or metro, despite
are larger than 150,000 people and go without reliable rapid having more than 20 tram lines in 1945. Leeds was the
transit, forcing their residents to rely on crowded buses or penultimate English city to shutter its trams in 1959 (Sheffield
congested roads. would follow in 1960 and Glasgow in 1962). But only a few
decades after tearing up the tracks, city leaders changed their
minds, and have been pushing for a new tram since the 1980s.

1 Kobie, N. (2018). Trams are great for city transport - why doesn’t the UK have more?. Wired.
2 Wikipedia. (2024). List of modern tramway and light rail systems in the United Kingdom.

6 BRITAIN REMADE & CREATE STREETS 7

 Chapter One: Why Does Britain Need A Tram Renaissance?

Leeds used to have a comprehensive tram network, but it is now the largest city in Europe without mass transit. Source: Wikimedia Why trams have made a comeback The move (known in the professional jargon as ‘modal shift‘)
from private cars to trams and active travel in our cities reduces
In the last 35 years, 148 cities in 40 different countries
carbon emissions. Since the tram in Tours, France opened in
have built a new tramway or light railway system. Add
2013, car use has fallen, with 25,000 fewer cars on the city
them altogether and you get 4,100 new kilometres of
streets resulting in a 40,000 ton reduction in annual carbon
Guiseley track, about the distance across the United States.
dioxide emissions.6 A study in Portland, USA found that those
People who are sceptical of trams will argue that buses can living in homes near the streetcar had 65% lower personal
do everything that a tram can, while avoiding expensive track carbon footprints than an average suburban house due to
installation and being able to divert around parked cars or their reduced car use, and increased active travel.7
Rawdon street works. Yet cities across the world have chosen to install
Trams, unlike diesel buses, produce no tailpipe emissions.
Roundhay (or re-install) trams for three key advantages: higher capacity,
Moortown
Lawnswood Even if we electrify our buses, trams will still be better for the
lower emissions, and better rider experiences.
local environment as their steel wheels on steel rail produce
Meanwood negligible particulate emissions, unlike buses’ rubber tyres. 52%
Capacity: trams carry three times more people than buses
of all small particle pollution from road transport comes from
Rodley Headingley Oakwood Consider a single lane of a city street, 3.5m wide. We might use
tyre and brake wear, plus a further 24% from road and paint
it as a corridor for cars, or perhaps a bus lane or a tramway. If
marking abrasion.8 Trams avoid these emissions that can
Kirkstall we used it as a car lane, we could move 1,500 people per hour.
Harehills pollute the environment and the air and water in our cities.
Bramley Cross If we turned it into a bus lane, we could move five times more
Gates
people. Yet that is blown away by the number of people that a
Thornbury Stanningley Rider experience: people like trams and use them
tram could move, with its longer carriages, increased number of
Armley Alton Trams provide reliable service patterns regardless of the time
Pudsey doors aiding faster boarding, larger stops, and higher likelihood
Cross of day, while peak hour bus journeys can take more than twice
Green of having signal priority over other traffic. Trams could move up
as long as off peak trips.9 The visibility of the transport and the
Wortley to 22,000 people on this corridor, nearly three times more than
improved legibility of the system encourage more people to use
buses and 15 times cars.3 The ability to move more people can
Holbeck the service, especially tourists who can more easily understand
support new developments, housing, and higher density in our
a tram network than bus routes. Trams are also normally
city centres. For higher capacity routes in British cities, we need
Beeston smoother with fewer bumps and jolts.
to build trams.
Belle People vote with their feet when it comes to transport,
Isle
Emissions: trams reduce emissions more and it’s easy to see that the travelling public prefers trams.
Morley Rothwell Not only do trams move more people than buses or cars, they Munich’s East Tangent tram had 50% more users than the bus it
also have positive environmental effects. Trams lower emissions replaced.10 Houston’s trams carry 40% more people than a like
Middleton
through encouraging people to take public transport instead for like bus service, and many of the new public transport riders
of cars and their steel wheels limit tyre particulate emissions. were drivers choosing to switch to the tram for their commute.11
The Nottingham tram has free parking at park and rides near
the M1, which makes the switch to public transport cheaper and What economic benefits could trams bring to
Map of Leeds Corporation Tramways
The full extent of Leeds’s original tram. more convenient. Consequently, Nottingham has been one of Britain’s cities?
the few cities in the UK to see a reduction in car usage over the
n Rd

Outside London, Britain’s cities are not meeting their potential.

past decade, with 30% of tram users switching from their car
Chapeltow

Leeds Tramway City Centre yR

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In most countries, major non-capital cities are at least as
ha for part or all of their journey.4 Likewise, in Manchester 29% of
M

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ea

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Ro productive as the national average. Yet the gross value added
nw

respondents to an evaluation report said that if the Manchester

oo

Wakefield and per worker in cities other than London was just 86% of the
d
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Metrolink wasn’t available, they would have travelled by car.5

oo

Disctrict Light railway

UK average.12 These cities have GVAs per worker 30% lower
dh

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Bradfield Tramway
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3 Boys Smith, N., Vadera, A., Noble, T., and Milner, D. (2024). Move Free. Create Streets.
ket

Park Kir
Park Row

ks Park Ln
Bec

tal 4 Urban Transport Group (2019) Light rail: keeping city regions moving during the pandemic – and building back better afterwards.
l
Briggate

Rd York Rd
Vicar Ln

5 Transport for Greater Manchester. (2021). Metrolink Phase 3: Monitoring and Evaluation Second Report.
Water York St 6 The Local France. (2023). Why France is falling in love with trams again.
7 Portland City Council. (2009). Portland Streetcar System Concept Plan.
Kirkgate
8 Carrington, D. (2023). Health Impact of Tyre Particles Causing ‘Increasing Concern’, Say Scientists. The Guardian.
Route terminus d
ll R 9 Forth, T. (2019). Birmingham is a Small City.
ha
hite
W 10 Muncher Verkehrsgellschaft mbH MVG. (2008). The Modern Tram in Europe.
Ln

Other roads 11 US Transportation Research Board. (1989). Research in Bus and Rail Transit Operations, TRB Report No. 1221. Transit Research Record.
ow
ad

12 Hopkinson, B. (2024). Britain’s Second Cities Are Stuck: Let’s Get Them Moving Again. Yes and Grow.
Me

8 BRITAIN REMADE & CREATE STREETS BACK ON TRACK

9
 Chapter One: Why Does Britain Need A Tram Renaissance? CHAPTER TWO

than similar cities in Germany, 23% lower than French cities,

and 18% lower than Italian cities. This is a key part of Britain’s
within half a mile of the line.18 This density means more offices
could be built and more people could live and work in the city’s
BRITISH TRAMS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE,
productivity puzzle. most productive neighbourhoods.
HERE’S HOW TO MAKE THEM CHEAPER
Britain’s towns and cities are under-performing in part, Tram systems can be the catalyst for private investment and
because they lack reliable and quick local transport. Only nine regeneration of a downtrodden area. By being a permanent
British cities have a tram or metro, compared to 30 French cities and visible investment that greatly improves accessibility, trams
and 60 German cities. Every French city larger than 150,000 are able to unlock transformational private investment into Building trams in Britain is too expensive trams) as the costs are borne by the Treasury not the tram
people has a light-rail or metro system, while there are 30 regeneration, which buses alone fail to do. promoter. This latter point often means that trams are seen as a
Over the last three decades, trams have made a remarkable
British cities and towns that large which lack any form of rapid catalyst to do large urban realm improvements, at the expense
For example in Greater Manchester, the Salford Docks used comeback across Europe. However, Britain has been left behind.
transit. In fact, a smaller proportion of British cities are served of the tram project.
to be the third-busiest port in Britain. After decades of falling Why have cities like Lyon, Helsinki, and Madrid been able to
by rapid transport than any other wealthy western country,
traffic, they shut in 1982. Renaissance arrived with Manchester build tram systems while Leeds, Bristol, and Belfast haven’t? Put To determine the extent of Britain’s cost problem, we’ve
including America.13
Metrolink in 1999. This created a direct link to the city centre, in simply, it’s cost. Building new tram systems is more expensive in looked at 100 different tram projects built this century across
In Leeds, fewer than 40% of people can reach the city centre turn attracting private investment into the docks and creating Britain than almost anywhere else in the word. 18 different countries. The database covers all of Britain’s
in 30 minutes or less on public transport. In the similarly-sized a new business district. The total Gross Value Added of the completed projects within this period that have reliable cost
Birmingham’s eastside extension is a 1.05 mile addition due to
Marseille, which has two metro lines and three tram lines, this new Salford Quays doubled over the two decades since the data and selected projects from Europe, Japan, America,
open to the future HS2 station at Curzon street. Barring any
figure jumps to 90%. Easy access to the city centre helps
14
tram opened with more than 1,250 businesses employing Canada, and Australia. The results do not reflect well on Britain.
further price rises, it will cost £245mn, just a little less than the
Marseille enjoy over 20% higher gross value added per worker more than 30,000 people now open in the Quays.19 20 The
£260mn Besançon spent on its entire nine mile network. Germany and Finland come out the best, building a mile of
than Leeds.15 Quays include the flagship MediaCityUK site, where one in
British projects are bogged down by excessively long planning tramway for £24mn and £28mn, respectively. The European
seven BBC employees now work. The area’s population more
By allowing more people to reach the city centre easily, trams average, without Britain, is £42mn. Yet Britain builds for more
than quadrupled since the tram opened as new residential processes, regulations that lead to moving almost all of the
increase the size of a city’s labour market. With a larger labour than double this amount at £87mn per mile, which is more than
developments were built.21 buried utilities at the expense of the project, and a lack of
market, people can specialise more by finding jobs that best three times the cost at which Germany and Finland can build.
shared standards that limits the sharing of cost-saving lessons.
match their skill set, which improves their productivity. Higher Trams are an ideal choice for Britain’s cities. They can combine Only Canada, Ireland, and Australia are more expensive than
Projects that are funded centrally lack the incentives to make
productivity means that people living in cities with good public the speed and reliability of trains with the immediacy and lower the UK.
cost-saving tradeoffs (e.g. simpler station designs or more basic
transport connections can earn higher salaries. Trams are cost of buses. Trams are able to move more people, reduce
already making it easier for commuters to easily access new both greenhouse gas and particulate emissions, and provide Average Cost of a Mile of New Tramline
jobs. 10% of the commuters who used Nottingham’s trams who a better rider experience. Importantly they can spur economic Measured in inflation adjusted £
changed jobs in the previous five years said that they would not growth by increasing the number of people who can reliably
Germany 24
have been able to move jobs without the trams.16 and pleasurably reach the city centre and encourage intensity,
Finland 28
productivity, regenerative development and growth.
But trams don’t just benefit existing residents and businesses. Belgium 35
They also encourage changes in land use, allowing for a denser Italy 36
and more vibrant city centre, in turn creating more space for
Netherlands 38
new businesses and facilitating the seamless and serendipitous
Denmark 42
mutual transfer of ideas which is so crucial to innovation
Norway 42
and prosperity.
Spain 43
After Portland, Oregon built their streetcar, the American term
Japan 44
for tram, new construction near the tramline was over twice as
Sweden 45
dense as construction further afield, with private developers
France 47
investing $3.5bn within two blocks of the tramway.17 Likewise,
Luxembourg 61
Phoenix’s Valley Metro Light Rail attracted $11bn of private
investment, creating over 35,000 jobs and 25,000 new homes Switzerland 61

USA 64

UK 87

Canada 94
13 Burn-Murdoch, J. (2023). The Nimby Tax on Britain and America. The Financial Times.
14 Foster, P. (2022). How Sprawling Suburbs are Stunting Productivity in UK Cities. The Financial Times. Ireland 116

15 Bessis, H. (2016). Competing with the Continent. Centre for Cities. Australia 122
16 Steer. (2021). Leading Light: What Light Rail Can Do City Regions. The Urban Transport Group.
Source: Britain Remade
17 Portland City Council. (2009). Portland Streetcar System Concept Plan.
18 Reagor, K. (2019). Love or Hate the Trains, Light Rail Boosts Home Values in Metro Phoenix. AZ Central.
19 Forth, T. (2023). Achieving Less with Much Less. Of the ten most expensive projects per mile, five of them are British. Only one British project, out of a total of 12, Nottingham’s first phase, cost less
than the global average.
20 Urban Transport Group. (2021). Light Rail: Keeping City Regions Moving During the Pandemic- and Building Back Better Afterwards.
21 Forth, T. (2023). Achieving Less with Much Less.

10 BRITAIN REMADE & CREATE STREETS BACK ON TRACK

11
 Chapter Two: British Trams Are Too Expensive, Here's How To Make Them Cheaper

Selected Tram Projects knowledge sharing, and requires each tram project to start Existing UK tram projects lack design standardisation. This
Cost per mile of tramline adjusted for inflation in £mn from scratch on engineering and design work. leads to different approaches to track and rolling stock
Mainz, Germany – Mainzelbahn Extension 16 design project by project. This limits opportunities to reduce
Germany, the country which builds new trams for the lowest
Tampere, Finland – Tampere Tram System 27
mobilisation costs and create economies of scale through ‘bulk
cost, has a better approach. The Association of German
buying’ of rolling stock, machinery for construction and tracks.
Portland, USA – 1st phase Portland streetcar 28 Transport Companies (VDV)22 dictates a common set of
Britain’s seven tramways place orders for new rolling stock
Cadiz, Spain – Cadiz Line 1 29 standards set out in VDV Blue Books, which complement the
individually, often electing to customise aesthetics. By contrast,
Besançon, France – Besançon tramline 1 29 German Government’s Tram Construction and Operating
French tramways can cooperate between them to bulk order
Palermo, Italy – Palermo trams 30
Regulations (BOStrab). Britain would benefit from such a
the same type of rolling stock and achieve discounts. Last year,
standardised approach.
Bergen, Norway – Phase 1 Bergen Light Rail 35 Toulouse, Brest, and Besançon cooperated to buy new trams
Dijon, France – Dijon Tramway 37 together with the goal of lowering costs.24
The issue: the UK fails to build tram delivery expertise and
Nottingham, UK – Phase 1 NET 38
create economies of scale When Britain does build, extra nice-to-haves are often added
Utsunomiya, Japan – Utsunomiya Tram 44 Edinburgh’s first phase of its tram construction was on to projects, which raises costs. For example, compare the
Lund, Sweden – Lund Tramline 45 characterised as ‘hell on wheels’ by its former Chairman Central Park Metrolink Station in north-east Manchester with
Manchester, UK – Metrolink to the Airport 57 and went £450mn over budget.23 Yet its second section was the standardised Portland, Oregon tram stops. The Metrolink
Nottingham, UK – Phase 2 NET 66 delivered on time and to budget, for 30% less per mile. By station is striking and unique. However, it cost £48mn adjusted
Edinburgh, UK – Extension to Newhaven 87 gaining experience from the initial failures, Edinburgh realised for inflation.25 The Portland stop is functional and inexpensive
cost savings in construction. However, such improvement rarely to construct. New standards should encourage elegance and
Birmingham, UK – Wednesday to Brierley Hill 88
happens in Britain. civic pride but they should normally also be simple, easy to use,
Dublin, Ireland – Luas Cross City 114
and replicable. It is much more important to actually build an
Manchester, UK – Trafford Park Lane 119 Across the UK, tram projects are not arranged into a steady
affordable and functional tramway that serves its users than
Edinburgh, UK – Edinburgh tram 1st phase 122
pipeline of projects, which limits opportunities to build
being bogged down building expensive and unnecessarily
experience between projects. The expertise and skill that is
Birmingham, UK – Westside extension 135 complex stations.
gained through a project is often lost as teams are disbanded.
Birmingham, UK – Eastside extension 233
Future projects have to effectively start from square one
Sydney, Australia – CBD and South East Tram 249
each time.
Manchester, UK – Second City Crossing 252

Source: Britain Remade

High construction costs make it harder for the UK to build • Firstly, Britain needs to work out shared standards
the tramlines that we need. In our database, Britain has built between new tramways and encourage a pipeline of
71 miles of tramway at an inflation-adjusted cost of £6.15bn. projects to be built.
If Britain could build as cost-effectively as the European • Secondly, the planning process for new trams is too slow
average, Britain would have an extra 75 miles of tramway and burdensome, so we need to speed up and devolve
without spending a penny more. At German costs, Britain the current Transport and Works Act approval process so
could have built 181 miles more. That’s like having an extra elected mayors can start building quicker.
three Manchester Metrolinks, which is Britain’s largest tram
• Finally, we need to move fewer utilities ahead of laying tram
network. That could mean new trams in cities like Leeds,
tracks and share these costs fairly between the tram project
Bristol, and Cardiff.
and utility companies.

Today, trams are set up to fail Scaling and standardising tram networks
Many city regeneration projects begin with glossy CGI images We aren’t building tram networks often enough or big enough
about what a tram network could look like. Yet, following and we’re failing to capture lessons across different projects
political leaders’ first briefing about the current costs and and systems. Our timid approach to new schemes increases The architecturally interesting, but very costly, Central Park Station on the Manchester Metrolink (left: source David Dixon, wikimedia) versus the
standardised, inexpensive, and easy to use Moody and Gibbs stop of the Portland Streetcar (right: source: Steve Morgan, wikimedia).
timescale of trams, the gleaming tram images quickly become costs in the long run and creates a lack of delivery expertise as
watered down into a halfway house of bus rapid transit or are new network extensions are delivered in phases years apart,
dropped entirely. often once the previous team has retired. Each British tramway 22 Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (Association of German Transport Companies).
has its own standards, which dictate features like platform 23 Hopkinson, B. (2023). “Hell on Wheels”: the Edinburgh Trams Story. Yes and Grow
Delivering a tram renaissance will require us to tackle three key
height, turning radius, and operational concerns. This limits 24 Metro Report International. (2023). Three Cities Place Joint Tram Order to Reduce Costs. Railway Gazette.
regulatory and system changes.
25 Manchester Evening News. (2013). We’re back on track.

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 Chapter Two: British Trams Are Too Expensive, Here's How To Make Them Cheaper

However, despite these undoubted benefits, the TWAO Ultimately, laying a tram track in a carriageway need be no
process, and its many required reports, creates too many more intrusive than any other normal road works, which are
“A forward pipeline would help “On the continent they’ve had delays and costs too much. Tram projects have to complete devolved and signed off at the local level. We are treating
e.g., allowing experienced teams continuity, Paris has had 10 or 11 long environmental statements that run into the thousands of trams like high speed rail. We do not need to.
to move between cities and projects, tramway extensions during the life pages even for short extensions. This is especially damaging
because tramways generally run through already built up The solution: devolve approval for tram schemes
you retain the knowledge and of the Nottingham scheme. They areas and are much more environmentally friendly than the The Ministry of Housing, Local Government, and Communities
capability of the team. Teams are were initially buying 400 trams in car alternatives. Moreover, extensive consultation is mandated, and Department for Transport recently began a review of
usually disbanded after projects – and Berlin, whilst Transport for Greater requiring outreach to every single door along the route. The whether the Transport and Works Act 1992 (TWA) is fit for
subsequently some [new] teams have Manchester were initially buying 12 process is a deterrent against new schemes and increases costs purpose.27 They should devolve the Transport and Works Act
for extension projects of existing tramways. These challenges and create a ’TWAO light’ to streamline the delivery of tram
never built a tramway. They scratch in Manchester (ultimately up to 147
also apply to demonstrator projects. Coventry City Council schemes and remove unnecessary ‘heavy rail’ regulatory asks.
their heads to find out what works, albeit over several years).” were quoted a cost of £5 million to construct a half mile Regional mayors should be in charge of signing off on new
and design from first principles. demonstrator track by DfT due to TWAO requirements. tram projects, not the Secretary of State. This would speed up
We don’t learn our lessons and The West Midlands Metro in Birmingham wanted to add a
the delivery of trams and light rail in their towns and cities and
allow local elected leaders to champion the project throughout
transfer the learning from one 1.05 mile extension to their tram network to intersect with
its planning. As the new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer put
project to another.” the planned HS2 station at Curzon Street, and continue into
it, ‘those with skin in the game know what’s best for their
Digbeth. Plans for this started in November 2013. The Metro
communities, and that does require us to be bold about pushing
submitted their TWAO application in October 2016. This
power and resource out of Whitehall.’
application included at least 5,718 pages across 52 different
documents, not including pages submitted ahead of the Trams have significant environmental benefits. For example
The solution: support tram delivery at a national level with The Competition and Markets Authority should issue public inquiry. If laid end to end, these pages would be the by encouraging people to switch to public transport from
ambition and nationwide standards guidance explicitly allowing cooperation of tram promoters same length as the tram extension itself. The Environmental their cars, Nottingham’s tram contributed to a 25% fall in the
The DfT should create a specialist tram delivery unit to jointly procure new tram vehicles. This would mollify Statement, and its 31 appendices, account for 3,201 of these city’s emissions.28 Requirements to complete environmental
responsible for trams, metro and light rail within its new concerns that cooperation could breach competition law. pages. The Transport Secretary granted the TWAO in January statements should be removed for areas where the tram runs
public transport directorship. This team should work with 2020, after 40 months spent determining if Birmingham could on existing roads or through built up areas.
industry bodies, such as the Light Rail Safety and Standards build a mile extension on top of existing roads.
Planning: bringing decision making closer to
Board, to develop a national tram standard modelled after those who benefit In total from the beginning of planning to the completion of
the German common standard VDV Blue Books and BOStrab. construction, the Birmingham Eastside Extension will take 13
Permission for new tram lines is currently granted at a national
It should support cities with their design and planning. years to build one mile of tramway. In comparison, Dijon built a
level and kills many projects at the first hurdle. The approval,
Introducing standards across British projects would lower 12 mile tramway network in just two years, after two years
known as a Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) can take up
engineering and design costs. It would permit experience of planning.
to four years to approve, cost millions to draft in consultant and
to be more easily transferred between cities. ‘You can have
legal fees and places unnecessary burdens on the project.
any tram as long as it’s black’ to paraphrase Henry Ford. The
tram delivery unit would turbocharge tram projects using a
The challenge: Though it has its uses, the Transport and
repeatable process, maintaining knowledge and arranging
Works Act creates delays.
projects into a pipeline across UK cities.
The Transport and Works Act (TWAO) 1992 created an “The average time from an idea of “Can we challenge the transport works
This tram delivery unit should encourage replicable and low alternative process to approve rail projects instead of individual
a tram scheme to spades in the act. DfT have offered to work with us
cost engineering solutions and capture lessons where trams acts of Parliament which were previously the only way to
were delivered cheaply both in the UK and abroad. This authorise projects. Whilst cumbersome and expensive, TWAOs
ground is about 14 years.” but there is significant work to do to
involves capturing lessons from where trams are successfully provide several benefits to transport authorities creating tram reduce the cost and timescales of the
built in Britain and encouraging knowledge sharing between schemes. They can: Martin Fleetwood TWAO process.”
British systems and promoters. To avoid potential gold plating, Board member of UK Tram
• enable the tramway to enact byelaws (such as penalising
where fancy stations raise costs, the delivery unit should February 2024
fare evasion); Colin Knight
advocate for cheaper but dignified and safe, replicable
• give tramways statutory defence against ‘actions in nuisance’, Coventry City Council
tram stop designs.
which can prevent individuals winning injunctions against a April 2024
new tramway because of disruption like noise or lights; and
• permit compulsory purchase powers where necessary.26

27 Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. (2023). Getting Great Britain building again: Speeding up infrastructure delivery.
26 Tramways & Urban Transit. (2019). UK Barriers to Progress. 28 Bounds, A. (2019). How Nottingham cut air pollution with UK’s only workplace parking levy. The Financial Times.

14 BRITAIN REMADE & CREATE STREETS BACK ON TRACK

15
 France – Dijon Tramway Years UK – West Midlands Metro
(12 miles – £460mn) Birmingham Eastside Extension
(1.05 miles – £245mn)

Utilities: gold plating trams to death reasons: firstly it allows for easier access for repairs, and
May 2008
Dijon council begins planning tram system.
0 November 2013
Proposal for a tram or Bus Rapid Transit Route to secondly because the track may physically conflict with utilities.
Before a tram project even begins laying the tracks, the project
East Birmingham. New projects in the UK start from an approach of moving every
September 2008 encounters one of the costliest parts of the whole construction.
Transport Tax of 1.8% on employer’s payroll enacted. utility in case access is needed in the future.
There are many pipes and wires that run beneath streets and
July 2014
November 2008 Greater Birmingham and Solihull Growth Deal includes currently a British tram project generally has to dig up the road Utility diversion is legislated by section 84 part three of
Council votes with large majority for a new tramway. initial £40mn funding from the Treasury.
and move all of them. the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA). The
Dijon signs a group order agreement with Brest to buy
trams together and lower cost.
1 legislation is sound, but a code of practice written by the
All of this digging of the roadway doesn’t come cheap. The
Spring 2009 Highway Authorities and Utilities Committee (HAUC), now over
October 2014 utility bill for the Sheffield tram in 1994 was £60 million (£154m
Public inquiry held. thirty years old, has created a cost burden to tram schemes by
Centro, the predecessor to Transport for West Midlands, in 2024).29 Moving utilities can regularly cost up to a third of the
unveils Eastside extension plans with two route options.
November 2009 establishing a default position that all utilities should be moved
Project Declaration unanimously adopted by the construction costs.30
community council. from beneath new tram tracks at far greater cost to the tram
2 While dealing with utilities is always going to be a challenge project than the utility company.
December 2009
Project was declared of public utility giving it final for any tram project, new trams in Britain face three extra
approval. As one tram engineer put it, “we’re spending fifteen to twenty
and unnecessary hurdles compared to projects in Europe
million pounds for a once a decade occurrence of repairing
October 2010 and America:
Construction begins. utilities.” Another added that ,“It’s more likely the track will be
1. Tram projects have to move nearly all of the utilities. replaced before the utilities.”
3 2. They are required to pay for almost all of the cost of
the relocation. The solution: adopt a do not move by default approach
3. Trackbeds are dug much deeper than in other countries out to utilities
of excessive caution. Future British tram projects should take a more pragmatic
August 2012 approach to diverting utilities and accept that maintenance
October 2016
Construction on Line 1 completed.
4 Transport and Works Act Submission (TWAO). The issue: We replace too many below ground utilities may close networks overnight. We should only replace what
September 2012 is necessary. While iron Victorian pipes should be replaced,
Line 1 opens for passengers.
British tram projects move too many of the utilities that are
beneath the future line. This is partly a consequence of utility funded to a greater extent by the utility company, modern
November 2012
Construction on Line 2 completed. companies having such favourable terms on the cost division of plastic water pipes, telecoms and electrics should, by default,
moving utilities that they prefer to replace as much as possible not be moved.
December 2012 November 2017
Line 2 opens for passengers. 5 Public Inquiry as part of TWA. with new apparatuses. Utilities are moved for two primary

January 2018
Planning Inspectorate Report.

“When we get the utilities moved they “We (the U.K.) just went down the
7
January 2020
TWAO granted. effectively have new for old and that is route of you need to move all the
generally really expensive, [which is] a utilities to remove the disruption risk.”
June 2021 significant portion of the cost, up to a
Preparatory work gets underway.
third of the cost of the track works.” Martin Fleetwood
Board member of UK Tram
8 February 2024
Martin Fleetwood
Board member of UK Tram
February 2024

2026
13 Line opens for passengers. 29 Source CS and BRM interview with independent tram sales representative (7th February 2024).
30 Source CS and BRM interview with Martin Fleetwood, Board member of UK Tram (February 2024).

16 BRITAIN REMADE & CREATE STREETS BACK ON TRACK

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 Chapter Two: British Trams Are Too Expensive, Here's How To Make Them Cheaper

The HAUC should update the Code of Practice to give clear The issue: The cost and liability burden falls on the
rules, based on the principles below, on which utilities to move developer or council.
and which to replace. This will remove the cost and time burden Since 2000, tram promoters have had to pay 92.5% of the
of utility negotiation. cost of moving utilities, while the rest is covered by the utility
companies.32 33 With utility companies only picking up 7.5% of
• Telecoms: do not move by default. Slew cables and
the cost, there is no incentive for them to keep the costs of work
lower if necessary and ensure tram tracks are not built
down or to be selective about which pipes actually need to be
on the pavement.
moved or replaced. Instead, the utility companies get newly
• Electrics: do not move by default. Add backup ducting installed apparatuses, using expensive sub-contractors, at the
alongside new track. The default position that anything expense of the tram project. This results in a significant subsidy
under one metre deep should be moved should be updated. to utility companies. Perversely, were utilities diverted for
A National Grid statement should be issued updating highways improvements not tram improvements, companies
this position. are obliged to pay 18% of the costs.
• Gas and Water: only move metallic pipes. Leave plastic
Other countries have more reasonable approaches to splitting
pipes that are not in physical conflict with track beds.
the costs of any utility diversions. In France, utility diversion
• Waste water: do not move pipes, but align manhole covers Left: workers completing the track bed on the West Midlands Metro, which is deeper than the European norms, requiring significant concrete
costs for private utilities like electricity, gas, and telephones (source: Midlands Metro Alliance). Right: the shallower and simpler track bed of Vienna’s trams (source: courtesy of Amey Ltd).
between or next to tracks. At the moment, manholes and are covered by the private owners of utilities. Of Lyon’s €34
34

their pipes are moved further away from tracks to permit million spend on moving utilities for 16 miles of new tramway,
The issue: we build our tracks too deep. The solution: take advantage of shallower track beds
access out of a belief that manholes close to the track are the electricity and gas companies covered €12 million of these
British tram track beds are often deeper than European or Many non-British projects use shallower trackbeds that create
more dangerous for workers. If access is needed, night time costs, while the telecom company covered another €11 million.
American counterparts. The West Midlands Metro rides on fewer conflicts with utilities. Constructed for only one quarter
works should be prioritised, and in emergencies, the line Utility companies are most able efficiently to reroute their
top of 600mm of concrete, which is following British standard as much per mile as the average British tram, Portland,
should be severed, and services on each of the branches cables and pipes because of their experience and incentive to
practice of protecting utilities which go under tram tracks with Oregon’s streetcar, only dug 12 inch (305mm) deep trackbeds,
should run. do so cheaply. Since they are covering the costs, they will only
large concrete slabs of between 500 to 1000mm in depth. This which were built as shallow slabs.35 Strasbourg, France and
Section 82 of the NRSWA 1991 deals with the cost of divert the utilities that need to be moved. Private companies
is borne out of a cautious desire to protect against Heavy Good Vienna, Austria have both laid tram tracks in a shallow bed
damaging a utility asset. At present if a utility company were are also encouraged to keep detailed records of their utilities,
Vehicles running over the tracks. Yet, digging this deep and and then covered them with grass, which are approximately
to temporarily need to remove track and access utilities, they which limits the chances of unexpected delays due to unknown
pouring this much concrete adds significant cost. 300-400mm deep. Coventry’s experimental Very Light Rail uses
may be liable for loss of revenue of the tram company were utilities being found.
300mm trackbeds that can be laid in weeks, not years. These
services suspended or any subsequent repairs to the track. The
tracks are far easier to remove if future utility access is required
West Midlands addressed this with Severn Trent via a waiver for The solution: ask utility companies to contribute a fairer and demonstrate resilience to heavier vehicle loads.
section 82. The DfT should adopt a nationwide waiver specific share of diversion costs
for utilities left in place on tram routes for Section 82 of the Update statutory instrument ‘The Streets Works (Sharing Future British tram projects should study and implement
NRSWA 1991. of Costs of Works) Regulation 2000’ to rebalance the cost of cheaper, shallower trackbeds such as Portland and Coventry’s
diverting utilities from tram projects to utility companies. low cost shallow-slab method of track construction. These
We should accept there will be times when access to buried
track beds are proven to sustain heavy HGV vehicles without
utilities is needed. Works will be done at night or in some
damage or disruption to utilities.
instances, tram services should terminate at the two stops
nearest the disruption, enabling a quick walk between
them. This is the norm in continental Europe if sections of
the tramway have to close for works. When significant work is
required on Vienna’s trams, the tramline will be divided into
multiple sections that each run services.31 It is far better to bring
down the cost of building a tram line that occasionally must
be severed than to build no tram because it is too expensive to
replace and move every utility. We are letting the best tram be
the enemy of the good tram or indeed of any tram at all.

31 Wiener Linien. (2024). Track Construction Work.

32 Department for Transport. (2011). Green Light for Light Rail.
33 The Street Works (Sharing of Costs of Works) (England) Regulations 2000.
34 Egis Semaly and Faber Maunsell (2003), Comparative Performance Data From French Tramway Systems. Urban Transport Group. 35 Henry, L. (2007). Rapid Streetcar: Rescaling Design and Cost for More Affordable Light Rail Transit. Light Rail Now.

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 CHAPTER THREE

HOW TO FUND A TRAM RENAISSANCE future property taxes. TIF has also been used in London to help
fund the Northern Line Extension to Battersea Power Station.
Government should adopt similar grants to America’s RAISE,
TIGER, and BUILD grants. America’s grants helped enable local
leaders to begin the planning and early parts of delivery of
Britain also sees the uplift in property values that trams create.
projects, as well as develop local financing mechanisms to cover
Two years after a tramline opened, prices of homes near the
their share of the costs. A pipeline of projects would lower costs
Britain is one of the most centralised countries in the world when it comes to funding new tramline in Manchester, Edinburgh, and the West Midlands
by encouraging standardisation and private investment into
transport infrastructure. From funding the business case through to detailed planning for the were on average 15% higher.45 This is compared to essentially
skills and equipment.
Transport and Works Act Order process and paying for construction, HM Treasury foots the vast no house price changes in the two years prior to the tramline
majority of the cost of delivering a tram system. This is a slow process, requiring multiple stages opening. The Manchester extension to the airport increased The Government should also allow Metro Mayors to levy an
of negotiation with central government, which increases centralised meddling and undermines house prices by a whopping 20.6%.46 America has also seen extra penny on employer’s national insurance, modelled after
rises in the value of offices built near new tramlines. Offices near France’s Versement Transport. This should be conditional
local decision making.
the Dallas Area Rapid Transit increased by 24.7% after light rail on ring-fencing it for new transport infrastructure and
Andy Street, the former Mayor of the West Midlands, described Across the world, trams are funded differently with local opened, compared to 11.5% for offices that were further from approval at a local referendum. The Versement Transport
the current system of funding local transport as a “begging governments directly raising revenue. France uses payroll the light rail line.47 was instrumental for France’s tram renaissance as it provides
bowl culture.”36 Instead of getting spades in the ground, local tax supplements. Across America, cities have used sales tax predictable revenues that can be used for longer term
But at the moment, local authorities struggle to capture
governments, who know the type of transport their area needs, increases and property taxes alongside federal grant support. investment. Such a tax could raise more than £70mn a year
the value of this uplift. Central government should enable
are forced to appeal to central government for money. Being for a city like Leeds to invest in new transport infrastructure.
In France, the Versement Transport is a 0.9% to 2.85% payroll councils who are planning a tram project to collect stamp
completely at the discretion of central government means
tax which is charged to companies with eleven or more duty uplift for houses on sale nearby the tramlines, as well In 2012, Nottingham introduced their Workplace Parking Levy
local leaders can’t champion the project effectively from start
employees. The tax raises 45% of local transit authorities as targeted council tax precepts subject to a referendum. (WPL), which raises around £9 million per year by charging
to finish. In the 1980s, when traffic congestion began clogging
budgets.39 This tax is ring-fenced to be solely for the Councils should also consider using the powers given to them employers £550 per parking space for workplaces with more
the streets of Leeds, city leaders drew up plans for a supertram,
development and operation of public transport. For a city by the Business Rate Supplements Act 2009 to levy increased than 10 spaces, which is often passed to employees.49 The
which were passed by Act of Parliament in 1993,37 but central
like Lyon with a population of around 1.4 million, the tax rates on businesses located near the new tramline. To make it levy enabled 10.5 miles (17 kilometres) of tramway to be built
government dithered over whether to fund it until 2001.
raises over £100 million from local businesses every year, easier for metro mayors to levy business rate supplements, the through a Private Finance Initiative, combined with additional
After the Government finally agreed to fund the scheme just for public transport.40 requirement to have approval from the majority of authorities funding from the Treasury. Yet the WPL took 12 years to
in 2001, the proposal’s costs spiralled, and the Transport within a combined authority should be removed. implement and included getting national regulations adopted.
In the US the first step for many of the new trams that have
Secretary, Alistair Darling, scrapped the project in 2005, after If another city wants to adopt a WPL, a power given to them by
been built over the past two decades is a Federal Transit Critically, costs are immediate and upfront, while the benefits
£40mn had already been spent.38 Costs spiralling after the the Transport Act 2000, they have to get the approval of the
Authority grant. These have gone by a number of different pithy in increased land values and economic activity are slower
Treasury agreed to fund the scheme is a common occurrence Transport Secretary, with the process taking up to three years.50
acronyms like TIGER, BUILD, or RAISE grants, but all enable and subsequent, only delivered after the tram starts running.
and demonstrates how this centralised funding model actually 51
Future tram projects should also introduce Workplace
local authorities to kickstart development. Unlike Britain, the Councils should use the ability to engage in Tax Increment
encourages cost overruns. Parking Levies that are tied directly to funding the tram. To
national government does not fund all of, or even a majority Financing to borrow against future revenues from the uplift
Transport construction involves making politically difficult of, the construction costs.41 Instead, local and state funding speed up the implementation process, the Government should
in business rates. The Government should also expand Tax
tradeoffs to save money. Choosing to move all of the utilities, mechanisms are responsible for half to two-thirds of the cost. remove the requirement to get Transport Secretary approval
Increment Financing to council tax precepts and stamp duty
have non-standardised stations, automated trams, or to run by fully devolving the sign off down to the local authority
With many different systems around the country, there uplifts for projects that boost property values like trams. The
fully-segregated from the street are very expensive decisions. level. If councils are planning on bringing in a Workplace
have been a variety of mechanisms used to fund the local Local Government Finance Act 2012 gives councils this power,
When the body spending the money is different from the Parking Levy, they should update their Local Transport Plan to
government’s role in the project. Phoenix and Los Angeles both but it has so far been underused because local governments
funding body, these tradeoffs are less likely to be made. There’s include the tram project, as currently WPL revenue can only be
used sales tax increases that were approved by voters in local lack the in-house capacity to develop the funding mechanisms
much weaker incentives to choose the less flashy, but more spent in accordance with their local transport plans, which tend
referendums.4243 Omaha’s streetcar is going to be funded by and business cases.48 To develop this in-house capacity, give
affordable option, especially after the Treasury has committed not to be regularly updated.
Tax Increment Financing (TIF), which allows the city to borrow local authorities the ability to kickstart the development
to funding the project. If funding and decisions were both at the of tram projects and encourage a pipeline of projects, the
against future commercial property taxes.44 Land near stations
local level, many expensive nice-to-haves would be abandoned.
will be more valuable after the construction of a tram, so TIF
allows municipalities to borrow against this expected uplift in

36 Street, A. (2023). My Views on Today’s Levelling Up Fund Announcement. Twitter.

45 Britain Remade analysis of Property Wire. (2017). Research Finds New Tram Routes in Cities Boost Nearby House Prices.
37 Leeds Supertram Act 1993.
46 Nellthorp, J., Ojeda Cabral, M., Johnson, D., Leahy, C. and Jiang, L. (2019). Land Value and Transport (Phase 2): Modelling and Appraisal.
38 Yorkshire Evening Post. (2007). The Not So Super Tram. Final Report to TfN, WYCA and EPSRC. Leeds: Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds.
39 Baverez, F. Energy Transition: What Funding For Public Transport?. Keolis. 47 Clower, T. and Weinstein, B. (2002). The Impact of Dallas (Texas) Rapid Transit Light Rail Stations on Taxable Property Valuations. Australasian
40 Egis Semaly and Faber Maunsell (2003), Comparative Performance Data From French Tramway Systems. Urban Transport Group. Journal of Regional Studies, 8(3).
41 Bell, R. (2017). Understanding Streetcar Costs, Funding, Operations and Partnerships. Metro Magazine. 48 Breach, A. and Jeffrey, S. (2020). Re-writing the Green Book for levelling up. Centre for Cities.
42 Crum, W. (2018). Weekend-Long Celebration to Mark Oklahoma City Streetcar Debut. Masstransit Mag. 49 Nottingham City Council. (2022). A Decade of Inspiring Growth in Our City: Nottingham’s Workplace Parking Levy 10 Year Impact Report.
43 Phoenix Metro. (2007). Frequently Asked Questions About Light Rail. Valley Metro. 50 Hopkinson, B. (2024). Devolving Local Transport Infrastructure: The Track to Better Cities. UK Day One.
44 P World News Network. (2023). Understanding the Omaha Streetcar Project and TIF Funding. Newsbreak. 51 Create Streets and Britain Remade interview with Sue Flack, former Director of Planning and Transport Nottingham City Council.

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 CHAPTER FOUR

LEEDS 2035 AND LEEDS 2050 6. Falling back in love with a prosperous and beautiful future.
Too many people believe that new development will be
7. Making it natural and joyful, swift and safe to walk and
cycle. Leeds should continue to emulate the cycling
loveless and ugly, lumpish and careless of their context. successes of the Netherlands and Denmark. We propose
Leeds needs to change this by creating homes rather than extending and creating a richly interwoven pattern cycle
Leeds is the largest city in Europe without rapid transit. Around Leeds unleashed: a vision for Leeds in 2035 ‘units’, gentle density’ not shiny new tower blocks and routes along tram lines and tree lined streets into and
830,000 people live in the wider metropolitan area and must and 2050 walkable neighbourhoods rather than drive to cul-de-sac around the city, to stations, parks, high streets, laboratories
choose between insufficient local trains, crowded buses, or ‘estates’. There is an opportunity for Leeds to rediscover its and employment hubs. Streets will prioritise pedestrians and
Our vision for Leeds in 2035 and 2050 has eight
creaking and congested roads. No other European city of this fine architectural heritage, reflecting the rich built heritage cyclists. Some will be car-free. Humans, not cars, will be the
key components.
size accepts this. This chapter sets out a vision for a transport and industrial legacy of the city to create a new vernacular. dominant species.
system that serves Leeds’s citizens, boosts productivity, unlocks 1. Reinventing the age of the tram. Leeds’s citizens deserve By deploying an inspiring and popular pattern book of 8. Creating a virtuous circle of growth boosting local jobs and
sites for new homes and offices and delivers beautiful ‘gentle world-class commuter infrastructure with approximately blocks, streets and house and building types, Leeds could productivity. All the economic literature suggests that
density’ development throughout the city so that Leeds 21 miles of tram radial and orbital connections to the city’s de-risk development and draw on the construction talents the combined effects of more homes, freer intra and
can grow and flourish. It is an unapologetically big and bold north, south, east and north-west in addition to buses and of the widest ever range of local developers, social landlords, inter-town movement and more attractive and greener
vision that responds to the ambitions of national and local trains by 2035 and an additional 18 miles by 2050. Some self-builders, community land trusts and national developers. neighbourhoods together with more places to work, meet
government as outlined in A vision for Leeds published in March trams can run on guided bus routes or former tram ways.
and shop will support ‘agglomeration effects’ whereby well
2024.52 It takes that vision and asks how it can be achieved on The existing railway network should be improved by a new
connected neighbourhoods create clusters of expertise and
the ground. As West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, put it: station in Armley.
enhanced productivity.54
2. Creating ‘gentle density’ new homes. Thanks to the use
‘We are committed to building new homes and communities
of trams, Leeds can transform its approach to creating
that are bold, beautiful and affordable… we are committed to
new homes relying more on walkable terraced homes and
delivering the West Yorkshire Mass Transit system, connecting White Rose Shopping centre today and in 2035 as a beautiful, tree lined street with gentle density homes, shops and offices.
mansion blocks at ‘gentle densities’ of 40 to 100 homes
more people to Leeds City Centre, opening up jobs, education,
per hectare and less on drive-to cul-de-sacs at about 25-30
training and leisure opportunities across the region. This
homes per hectare. This would permit more homes on less
initiative will unlock greater prosperity as we create a greener,
land. By 2035, we estimate this approach can fund between
more sustainable transport system that better connects our
8,880 and 17,760 homes. By 2050, we estimate this approach
towns and cities, enabling our regional economy to thrive.’
can fund between 19,445 and 38,910 new homes.
3. Creating mixed-use neighbourhoods not separate zones.
Leeds today: a city constrained
By creating neighbourhoods in which people can live and
Leeds’s extensive tram system was dismantled in 1959.
work not disparate ‘employment zones’ and ‘residential
Since then there have been two attempts to reintroduce
zones’ separated by acres of roundabout and dual
comprehensive public transport: the Leeds Supertram in 1991
carriageways we can develop at greater density and
and The New Generation Travel trolleybus in 2007. Both failed
also support local prosperity.
and were scrapped due to rapidly increasing costs.
4. Creating homes along tram and train lines not dual
There is now a renewed commitment from the Government, carriageways. Many new homes will be clustered around
the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and Leeds train and tram stations, high streets, and pre-existing
City Council to regional ‘mass transport’ with £2.5 billion employment centres. In addition to existing site allocations,
committed. WYCA are currently consulting on phase one which we propose growth along proposed tram lines not heavy
includes three route options for a ‘The Bradford Line’ a new road infrastructure with four focal areas in the Kirkstall
tram link between Leeds and Bradford and seven route options Valley to the west, Mabgate to the north, the Aire Valley to
for ‘The Leeds Line’ (four to the north and three to the south of the east and Beeston to the south.
the river Aire) which would run between St.James’s hospital to
5. Creating deeply green and resilient streets and squares.
Leeds’s north east through to Elland Road and the White Rose
New and existing streets should be tree-lined and with
Shopping Centre to the city’s south. 53
a dense web of green squares, village greens and private
gardens. Buildings should be created to last for over 300
years, not just 60; neighbourhoods should be designed for
the perennial needs of human beings, not the passing fads
of technology or fashion.

52 Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities. (2024). A vision for Leeds: a decade of city centre growth and wider prosperity.
53 WYCA (2024), West Yorkshire Mass Transit Phase One, Accessed 18th July. 54 See Create Streets (2024), Move Free.

22 BRITAIN REMADE & CREATE STREETS BACK ON TRACK

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 Chapter Four: Leeds 2035 and Leeds 2050 BRITAIN REMADE

Reinventing the age of the tram Opportunities to create ‘gentle density’ 4. Creating boulevards. Some of Leeds’s wide roads have the
new homes potential to transform into tree-lined boulevards with trams
We propose reintroducing trams to Leeds’s city centre and • Link existing neighbourhoods with high indices of
running along them fronted by ‘gentle density’ homes, shops
beyond. While we recognise that routes and sites should be deprivation or at highest risk of Transport Related We have identified 71 sites over 390 hectares (about the same
and offices. We estimate that between 1,370 to 2,740 new
developed through local stakeholder engagement, this exercise Social Exclusion to city centre jobs and services;55 as 390 rugby pitches) for new homes and neighbourhoods.
homes are possible on Leeds’s new boulevards.
is designed to illustrate what is possible. Our suggested routes • Get people where they need to go connecting to existing These could provide between 8,800 and 17,760 new homes
take account of West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) by 2035 and between 19,455 and 38,910 by 2050 as well as a 5. From greybelt to well-connected homes. Thanks to new
hospitals, universities, sports grounds and the like;
proposed tram route options and the original proposal for Leeds dense web of shops, offices and other uses. There are five main trams, carefully selected low quality greenbelt sites (so-
• Are easy to build running along wide roads that could
Super Tram though we have expanded this network to factor in types of opportunities. called ‘greybelt’) close to proposed tram lines can also be
accommodate trams with minimal disruption; and
new opportunities for housing and employment growth. This is released for new homes on well-connected low quality sites.
• Make new homes possible linking to already allocated or 1. Creating ‘gentle density’ on allocated sites. Thanks to new
essential to permit the 19,455 and 38,910 homes we propose We estimate that between 4,770 to 9,540 new homes are
potential additional sites for new ‘gentle density’ homes trams many existing sites can be improved and intensified
by 2050 at the ‘gentle density’ we suggest and it can, in turn, possible on around three sites.
and mixed use neighbourhoods.56 from drive-to low density to walk-and-ride-to ‘gentle density’.
be funded by the value uplift associated with transport-linked In addition, this vision for Leeds would render viable
We estimate that this can provide between 6,815 and 13,630
development and intensification. We have prioritised routes that: many opportunities to intensify and densify suburban
homes on 20 potential sites.
neighbourhoods through development of back land or mews
2. From car parks to homes. We estimate that between 960 to
or through intensification from semi-detached to terraced
1,920 new homes are possible on five sites thanks to reduced
homes and the like. Such intensification would need to be
need for car parks in a future better-connected Leeds and
conducted with local consent. We have neither mapped out
from managing car parking more efficiently.
nor precisely quantified the additional housing potential via
3. Reinventing boxland. By helping low density big box suburban intensification for this report however we judge it to
monocultures of shops or offices evolve to mixed use be considerable.
55 Transport for the North defines TRSE to mean that “transport issues have a fundamental impact on everyday life and limit the ability to fulfil
everyday needs.”It is most often caused by a “vicious cycle of poor quality local public transport, poor conditions for active travel in car-dominated neighbourhoods with more storeys which combine both
environments, and the high levels of car dependency that result from this. equivalent ongoing commercial and retail uses and new
56 As set out in Vision for Leeds.
homes we estimate that between 5,540 to 11,080 new
homes are possible on 25 potential sites.
Tram on the streets of Amsterdam. Trams and light rail can fit into the web of a bustling city centre, improving public transport and local air quality.

Duncan Street today and in 2035 with a tram and improved public realm.

24 BACK ON TRACK
25
 Chapter Four: Leeds 2035 and Leeds 2050

Three new radial tram lines by 2035 2. The Aire Valley Line runs east-to-west from Kirkstall Two new orbital tram lines by 2050
transforming Kirkstall Road into a tree-lined boulevard
We suggest creating three new radial tram routes by 2035 We suggest extending Leeds’s tram network by a further Site Type No. of Total Approx. no. of homes
through the city centre to development at Skelton Gate
with over 21 miles built in several phases. Most can run nineteen and half miles with two new orbital lines by 2050. sites hectares at 50–100 homes per
(1,100 homes approved) to the city’s east. This line is just hectare
along green ways, occupying the central lanes of tree-lined
over 6 miles long and unlocks 10 potential sites on 62 1. The Billy Bremner Line orbital extension runs just over
boulevards, being delivered quickly within wide existing Creating ‘gentle
hectares. Current proposals on these sites only amount to seven miles through to Beeston, Bramley and Tingley. It density’ on 26 136.3 6,815-13,630
roads with little disruption.
396 homes but by moving to ‘gentle density’ between 50 to could partially run along existing rail lines. It unlocks 14 sites allocated sites

1. The Pudsey Line from Leeds to Bradford follows the 100 homes per hectare between 3,110 and 6,220 homes are with approximately 167 hectares delivering between 8,345
Reinventing
potential alignment of one of the new route options and 16,690 homes at ‘gentle density. Current plans only 25 110.8 5,540-11,080
possible as well as shops and offices. boxland
proposed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Six 57
target 1,673 homes.
3. The Billy Bremner Line runs north from Leeds city centre past From car parks to
miles long (within Leeds), the Pudsey Line partly makes use 2. The Loiner Line is an orbital route which connects the city homes
6 19.2 960-1,920
St James’s hospital and through to new homes at East Leeds
of existing train lines and runs through Pudsey west along centre with Leeds University, Leeds Beckett University,
Extension. To the south of Leeds city centre it passes Elland
the Bradford Road (A657). Applying a density of 50-100 Creating
Road and runs on to the white rose shopping centre in Beeston. Hyde Park Headingley Cricket and Rugby ground through boulevards
3 27.4 1,370-2,740
homes per hectare to 18 newly unlocked sites along the to Weetwood, Moortown and Scotthall Road. Just over ten
The line is 9 miles long and includes 14 potential development
route provides 935 to 1,870 new homes. miles long, it unlocks 14 sites, 45 hectares and between From ‘greybelt’ to
sites of 97 hectares unlocking 4,835 to 9,670 homes at ‘gentle well-connected 11 95.4 4,770-9,540
densities’ of 50 -100 homes per hectare as well as 3,310 square 2,230 and 4,460 homes. Current proposals only amount homes

metre of office space and seven hectares of employment. to 851 homes and 19,535 square metres of office space.

57 Marlow, A. (2024). ‘Major Step Forward’ as Plans for Tram System Connecting Bradford and Leeds Announced by Mayor. Leeds Live.

Our vision for Leeds in 2035 with 21 miles of three new radial tram lines. Our vision for Leeds in 2050 with an additional 18 miles of tram tracks in two radial and two orbital tram lines.

Leeds Bradford Leeds Bradford

Airport Airport
Cookridge Cookridge

Roundhay Roundhay
Meanwood Meanwood
Chapel Chapel
Allterton East Leeds
Allterton East Leeds
Yorkshire Cricket Ground Yorkshire Cricket Ground
Extension Extension
and AMT Headingley and AMT Headingley
Rugby Stadium Rugby Stadium
Seacroft Seacroft
Horsforth Harehills Horsforth Harehills
Kirkstall Kirkstall
Stanningley Stanningley
St James’ University Hospital St James’ University Hospital
Leeds University Leeds University

Leeds General Infirmary Leeds General Infirmary

Halton Halton
Pudsey Pudsey
Armley Armley

Key Hunslet Key Hunslet

Elland Road Elland Road
The Pudsey Line Creating gentle density The Pudsey Line Creating gentle density
Enterprise Zone Enterprise Zone
on allocated sites on allocated sites
The Aire Valley Line From car parks to homes Beeston Skelton Lakes The Aire Valley Line From car parks to homes Beeston Skelton Lakes

The Billy Bremner Line

The Billy Bremner Line
Reinventing boxland Reinventing boxland
The Loiner Line
Proposed tram stops
Creating boulevards Proposed tram stops Creating boulevards
Tram depot White Rose White Rose
Shopping Centre Tram depot Shopping Centre
Greybelt to well Greybelt to well
Proposed train station connected homes Rothwell connected homes Rothwell
Proposed train station
Sites currently Sites currently
Key destinations Key destinations
under development under development
Middleton Middleton

Birstall Birstall

26 27
Tingley Tingley
 Chapter Four: Leeds 2035 and Leeds 2050

Three types of ‘gentle density’ neighbourhood All new neighbourhoods should be designed with five
guiding principles.
We propose three types of ‘gentle density’ development for the
new neighbourhoods and homes made possible by Leeds’s new • Streets that ‘plug in’. A well-connected, highly walkable,
tram lines. traditional street pattern of differing types and sizes with
White Rose
multiple junctions and route choices.
1. City centre. Five to ten storeys tall. Courtyard blocks, Shopping Centre

mansion blocks and warehouses with ground floor shops, • Greenery little and often. Frequent green spaces inter-
Surface car parking
restaurants, offices and cafes. Beautiful and efficient, woven into the neighbourhood either as private gardens,
enclosing public streets on one side and communal gardens communal gardens or well-overlooked squares between
or courtyards within. blocks and where people really need, use and frequent them.
Many street trees.
• Approximate density: 100 to 150 homes per hectare
(broadly similar to areas of Hyde Park, Woodhouse • Height. Most buildings at human scale height (four to ten
and Armley). storeys) with only a few at two and half or three storeys. Very
sparing use of residential towers and only in well-connected
• Cars and parking: No ‘by right’ resident parking but Millshaw Road
locations for the small number of people who seek them. All
disabled and some limited underground and car club
towers built in such a way as not to disrupt the streetscape
parking available.
but to enhance it - for example terminating vistas.
2. Greater Leeds. Predominantly streets of tall, slender-fronted
• Blocks with faces. Blocks that are neither too deep nor long
terraced houses, interspersed with small mansion blocks and Dewsbury Road
and appear to be composed of separate buildings rather
mews. Typically between three to six storeys.
than one gargantuan edifice with long blank walls or vast
• Approximate density: 75 to 100 homes per
frontages. Streets should be composed of narrow fronts with
hectare (broadly similar to parts of Headingley
many doors and a strong ‘sense of the vertical’ in the design
and Chapel Allerton).
to break up the scale of terraced blocks. The most popular
• Cars and parking: less than one car per home on traditional neighbourhoods have clear fronts and backs
average with some car-free flats. with internal private or communal gardens in the centre
3. Outer Leeds. Predominantly streets with a mix of terraces of street blocks.
and some semi-detached houses with longer front and back • Popular beauty. Ignoring popular aesthetic appeal is missing
gardens and more local greens. Typically between two and a a key trick. Good places have a sense of place. People have
half to four storeys. chosen to live in Leeds – often at some expense. We need White Rose
Shopping Centre
• Approximate density: 50 to 75 homes per hectare more homes but people need to like the places they create. New multistorey car parks
(broadly similar to Pudsey, Meanwood and many Streets that bend and flex with contours of the landscape, a
Walkable, tree
Victorian inner suburbs). variety of street types, design and green spaces which obey lined streets

• Cars and parking: one car per home on average. Leeds’s scale and geography will help achieve this. Some
surprises, not designed by committee.

Reinventing boxland: a worked example

New homes of Tram stop
As an example of what is very possible, we have selected a three to six storeys
‘boxland’ site and re-planned it. We have selected this site as
58
Millshaw Road
it is likely to be on the tram line between St James’ Hospital and
The White Rose shopping centre proposed by West Yorkshire
Combined Authority. It is currently a very low density ‘boxland’
retail site with expansive surface car parks. It is not currently
Dewsbury Road
allocated for development. We have re-planned it to show how
Detached Semi-detached Terrace Mid-rise Tower block
a ‘gentle density’ approach could produce around 700 to 1,000
Gentle Density
homes whilst keeping retail and commercial uses. A similar
approach could be taken to many of the sites unlocked by the
Gentle density is your friend: optimising the advantages of
propinquity and personal space. 37 miles of Leeds’s new tram lines.

White Rose reborn: from boxland retail with sprawling seas of surface parking to a walkable neighbourhood with tram links, more homes and more
jobs and multi-storey parking.

58 We should stress that this is purely illustrative and that we have not spoken to the landowners or operators.

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 Chapter Four: Leeds 2035 and Leeds 2050

Reimagining Leeds City Centre, Wellington Street today and in 2035 with a tram.

CONCLUSION
For too long Britain has failed to build the local transport that its towns and cities need
to thrive. Building more trams would enable more people to more easily get to where
they need to go, reduce carbon and particulate emissions, and make travelling by public
transport a more pleasant experience. More trams could spur economic growth, by
making it easier to get to and around the most productive areas of our cities. More
Reimagining boxland, Roseville Road today and in 2050 with a tram. trams could encourage and catalyse more regeneration and investment.

However, Britain will fail to realise these benefits if we cannot solve our cost problem. New
trams in the UK cost more than double the European average. To lower the cost of new
trams and fund Britain’s tram renaissance, the Government needs to:

1
Create consistent standards between tram networks
and encourage a pipeline of new tram projects;

2
Reform the current planning system for trams, which
is too expensive and slow, by devolving powers to
metro mayors;
Reimagining Headingley High Street, Otley Road today and in 2050 with a tram.

3
Fix utility guidelines to make sure only the pipes and
wires that need to be moved are moved, with utility
companies paying their fair share of the costs; and

4
Give local leaders new powers to fund local transport
extensions so they can get on with building instead of
constantly having to appeal to Central Government
for funding.

Reimagining suburban Leeds. Easterly Road today and in 2050 with a tram running on the central grass verge.
If Britain follows this plan, we can reinvent the age of the tram as is becoming the norm
internationally. Cities like Leeds could be transformed with new gentle density homes,
readier movement and more mixed-use neighbourhoods which intermingle shops, offices
and homes.

Our relative lack of trams is the exception not the norm and is explained by high costs and
poor governance. Exceptionalism is justifiable when it works. Ours isn’t working. It is time
to change that.

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