Executive Director of Transport appointed to help deliver mass transit system to West Yorkshire

Simon Warburton will join the authority as Executive Director of Transport in May, overseeing activity across three transport directorates.

Mr Warburton, who is the Director of Strategy at Transport for Greater Manchester, is expected to play a key role in the development and delivery of a mass transit system to West Yorkshire.

Regional leaders are hoping work on a line from Leeds to Bradford could get underway within five years, followed by a second stage to include Kirklees.

Modern trams could operate on some routes with a range of different technologies thought to be under consideration.

Passengers also may be able to catch buses using bus-only lanes on other routes within a new mass transit network.

The Mayor of West Yorkshire and the county’s combined authority were awarded £200m by government in 2021 to begin work on making the transit system a reality.

Since the award, cash has been spent on planning, consulting with the public and designing potential routes which would also take in Wakefield and Calderdale.

West Yorkshire’s Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “I’m thrilled that Simon will be joining our senior team. His extensive experience and understanding of the opportunities and challenges we face will be invaluable as we strive to cement a stronger future for our region.”

Chief Executive of West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Ben Still added: “Simon’s expertise will be invaluable in driving forward the ambitions we have for growth and prosperity across the region.”

“I’m delighted to welcome him to the team as we enter the next phase of our journey.”