Independent proposal
Version 3.0 · August 2026

Proposal This is an independent proposal. It is not published by, affiliated with or endorsed by West Yorkshire Combined Authority or any government body.

Figures version Version 3.0 August 2026 · 2025/26 prices
Section 7

Programme cost and funding

The Weaver Metro comprises Phases 1 and 2. Taken together, the programme totals £1.86bn to £1.93bn, inside the £2.1bn Transport for City Regions funding envelope across the whole of its cost range, with £166m to £236m of headroom held against cost risk.

£1.86bn to £1.93bn

Programme total, both phases

£2.1bn

Funding envelope, 2027 to 2032

£166m to £236m

Headroom against the envelope

51

Stations and stops on the network

Combined cost

Phase 1 carries a single point estimate: it involves no element with a cost range. Phase 2 varies only with the airport spur civil engineering, which is presented low, central and high. The programme totals below carry that variation through to the combined figure.

Table 7.1: Combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 programme cost at 2025/26 prices.
Item Low Central High
Phase 1 £231.2m £231.2m £231.2m
Phase 2, net £1,633.2m £1,668.2m £1,703.2m
Programme total £1,864.4m £1,899.4m £1,934.4m
Headroom against £2.1bn envelope £235.6m £200.6m £165.6m

The Low column is the low-cost case, in which the airport spur civils land at the bottom of their range and headroom is greatest. The High column is the high-cost case, with the least headroom.

Headroom against the envelope

The programme sits within the £2.1bn envelope across the whole of its cost range, leaving between £166m and £236m of headroom. The high estimate assumes the airport spur civil engineering lands at the top of its range; that element is the only one in the costed programme carrying a range.

The headroom is the margin against optimism bias on the three new-build tram alignments, L1, Seacroft and Belle Isle, which are the programme's principal cost risk. Phase 1 at £231.2m is separately fundable and deliverable, and does not depend on any Phase 2 decision.

Network scale

On completion the network serves 51 stations and stops. Twenty-five are existing heavy rail stations brought to metro standard in Phase 1, requiring no construction. Four are new heavy rail stations built in Phase 2. The remaining stops are on the three new-build tram alignments and are indicative at this stage.

Table 9.1: Stations and stops on the completed network.
Element Stations or stops
Phase 1 corridors, existing stations 25
Phase 2 new heavy rail stations 4
L1 city centre spine, indicative 6
Seacroft extension, indicative 9
Belle Isle route, indicative 7
Network total 51

Leeds station is counted once. Tram stop counts are indicative, derived at an average spacing of 600m across the new-build alignments, and will be fixed at detailed design.