The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Committee, chaired by Mayor Dan Norris, approved work to move forward with developing plans for segregated rapid transport that go alongside the improvements to bus and rail travel that his Mayoral Combined Authority is already delivering.
Providing a new and separate transport system will ensure a more reliable service that gives the variety of transport options to meet the needs of different communities. It will also reduce the congestion in the urban areas of the region and improve the local economy and environment.
As Mayor I’ve been focused on how to make public transport better for all our residents here and now. But we also need to plan for the long term and it’s clear that our region needs a new transport system if we’re going to compete with London, Manchester, Nottingham, and Leeds.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris, in welcoming the Committee’s decision
I’m pleased that we’ve taken this step forward to delivering that system. With the level of investment required, it’s vital that we get this right and make the case to national Government that we have a plan that will work and deliver value for money.
I look forward to considering the options the report comes back with in due course.
A report on the options available is expected to be presented to the Mayoral Combined Authority in September.
Leaders across the West have welcomed greater investment through today’s Spending Review, with a record three-quarters of a billion pounds of transport funding confirmed for the West. That means better buses, more trains, and mass transit – with trams and much more on the table. The Treasury has also today confirmed plans to improve rail links between Bristol and Cardiff.
The second phase of a project - to reduce congestion, improve the reliability of buses, and promote active travel along a major transport route in Bristol - will get underway from Monday 16 June 2025.
That’s summer sorted. Children and young people under the age of 16 are set to be able to travel for free on buses across our region during the school holidays, thanks to new investment proposed by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.
Bristol’s first electrified bus depot was opened on 3 June 2025 by a government minister and the West of England’s new mayor.
Leaders across the region have today welcomed more than three-quarters of a billion pounds set to be invested in transport projects in the West. The Chancellor has announced plans to more than double investment in local transport in England’s city regions, committing to “investment in all parts of the country, not just a few.”
