| Leeds Supertram | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 A 2001 artist's impression of Supertram in City Square | |||
| Overview | |||
| Locale | Leeds | ||
| Transit type | Electrified tramway | ||
| Number of lines | 3 | ||
| Number of stations | 50 | ||
| Operation | |||
| Operator(s) | West Yorkshire Metro | ||
| Technical | |||
| System length | 28 km (17 mi)[1] | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| |||
The Leeds Supertram was a proposed light rail/tram system in Leeds and West Yorkshire in England. It would have been a three-line, 17-mile (27 km) system with 50 stations. It received provisional government approval in 2001, and was specifically for corridors ill-served by the existing heavy rail network. Supertram would have been 75% funded from the public sector, with final contracts for construction and a 27-year operating concession due to have been awarded in 2003.[2] By 2004, disquiet about rising costs had caused the scheme to be scaled back, and it was finally cancelled in 2005 by the Transport Secretary, Alistair Darling.
The northern branch would have served the universities and Headingley, running to a park and ride site at Lawnswood. The eastern branch would have run to Seacroft and Whinmoor, and the southern arm would have served Hunslet, Belle Isle and Middleton with another park and ride by the M621 motorway. In the city centre, trams were to have linked to the bus and rail stations and shopping areas. Most of the double track route would have been segregated.[1]
- ^ a b "Leeds Supertram -, United Kingdom". Railway-Technology.com. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- ^ "Leeds is back at a rail crossroads". RAIL. No. 805. 20 July 2016. pp. 46–51.