Plans


to
improve
public
transport
in
city
regions
outside
London
with
a
five-year
budget
of
£15.6
billion
are
expected
to
be
announced
by
chancellor
Rachel
Reeves
during
a
speech
in
Manchester
today.

The
schemes
are
understood
to
include
a
long-called
for
extension
of
the
Metrolink
tram
network
to
Stockport
and
more
tram
stops
in
Bury,
Oldham
and
central
Manchester,
using
funding
worth
£2.5
billion.

West
Yorkshire
gets
£2.1
billion
to
start
work
on
a
new
tram
system
connecting
Leeds
and
Bradford,
there
is
£1.6
billion
for
Merseyside
to
improve
airport
links,
£1.5
billion
for
South
Yorkshire
to
renew
the
existing
tram
network
around
Sheffield,
£1.8
billion
for
the
North
East
to
extend
the
Tyne
&
Metro
to
Sunderland
via
Washington,
£1
billion
for
Tees
Valley
to
pay
for
platform
extensions
at
Middlesborough
and
other
upgrades,
£2.4
billion
for
the
West
Midlands
for
another
tramway
extension,
£2
billion
for
the
East
Midlands
to
improve
links
between
Nottingham
and
Derby,
and
£800
million
for
the
West
of
England
Combined
Authority,
which
covers
Bristol
and
surrounding
areas,
to
provide
more
frequent
trains
for
a
new
estate
on
the
site
of
the
former
Filton
airfield
in
South
Gloucestershire
and
also
to
lay
the
foundations
for
a
new
mass
transit
scheme,
which
could
involve
trams.

The
expected
announcement
will
have
come
a
week
before
the
government’s
spending
review
next
week,
which
decides
the
budgets
for
each
department.

Do
you
have
a
comment?
Please
click here  to
send
an
email
to
Platform
at
Railnews.

Moderated
comments
will
be
published
on
this
site,
and
may
also
be
used
in
the
next
print
edition.