By Harry Mottram: Billions have been promised by the Chancellor for the North and the Midlands in her pledge to improve public transport but she gave a much lower figure for the South West. Rachel Reeves announced new trams and tram extension programmes for Sunderland, Rotherham and Doncaster along with billions to improve rail and bus links in Manchester Liverpool, Tees Valley and Derby but just £800m for Bristol and Bath which won’t be enough for a tram system to link the cities and towns of this region. However the cash will go to the West of England Mayoral Authority and its new boss Helen Godwin to improve rail infrastructure, provide more frequent trains between the Brabazon industrial estate in Bristol and the city centre, and develop mass transit between Bristol, Bath, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
That cash will be very welcome but it remains to be seen how this will increase the numbers of trains and buses in the area since to build a new railway station costs a minimum of £25m while to a new tram system costs at least £50m a mile to install depending on the route. Using part of the A4 and the existing cycle track (a former railway line) could keep costs down but any tram system would need to reach parts of Wiltshire, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire if it was to mirror other tram systems.
The Bristol & Bath Area Trams Association published a critique in a letter by Andrew B of schemes which use guided tracks on roads for buses and trams which are seen as a half way house between buses and trams in January 2025 about the costs associated with trackless trams. It read “I would argue that all types of guided bus system actually cost more than a tramway when measured over a fifty-year life. As kerb-guided busways (Essen, Mannheim, Adelaide, Cambridge, Dunstable, etc.) have shown, track costs are no lees than for a tramway in capital expenditure and are significantly higher for ongoing maintenance. So-called “trams on tyres” (GLT/TVR: Caen & Nancy; Translohr: Clermont-Ferrand, Paris T5/6, Padua, Venice-Mestre, Tianjin) similarly have high “track” costs and have demonstrated a propensity to derail that is far higher than for conventional tramways.”
He adds: “It is especially interesting that Edinburgh’s phenomenally expensive first line has successfully increased public transport use in the city by much more than would have been possible with buses.”
Following former metro Mayor Dan Norris’s tenure as WECA boss it will be interesting to see if Helen Godwin can improve bus services that are reliable and have regular links to the the outskirts of Bath and the surrounding towns and villages. His birthday bus scheme was popular but it was seen as a gimmick while he scrapped earlier this year the idea of a bus lane on Keynsham bypass but pushed forward bus franchising. So it’s a moment to take stock to see what plans are now put forward by the new Metro Mayor following the Chancellor’s announcement. On the WECA X account is said: “Mayor Helen Godwin pledged to work with government and councils to get the West moving. Three-quarters of a billion secured for transport will do just that, as we start a new chapter together: better buses, more trains, and mass transit. Trams and much more are on the table!” Although no mention of trams in the Chancellor’s announcement – not seen in Bath since 1939.
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Harry Mottram is a freelance journalist. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Telegram, TikTok and Email:harryfmottram@gmail.com
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