Transport Insights

The press release from West Yorkshire Combined Authority announcing ministers’ decision to put the region’s mass transit system on the not yet list, along with Northern Powerhouse Rail, is a classic of its kind, and trips over its own contradictions.

Announcements that a scheme will be later than promised never come out and say that up front but begin with an assurance that everything is going swimmingly:

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has been working with the Government to consider the plans for successfully delivering this game-changing scheme for the region. 

This has included undertaking an independent review, which is part of the usual process for projects of this size and scale.  As a result, a robust, sequential timeline has been developed, which aims to reduce risks and ensure that the project is put firmly on the path for successful delivery.

And then the kicker:

The revised plan has been welcomed by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin and Transport Minister Lord Peter Hendy, despite the changes meaning services will now start running later than planned, from the mid-2030s to the late 2030s.  

I’m sure West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin thought she was being helpful when she said:

While the new timeline helps offer certainty for the scheme, I am also pleased that Ministers have committed to working with us to cut red tape and put tracks on the ground as quickly as possible.

As part of our Weaver Network, Mass Transit is vital for us to create a better-connected and greener West Yorkshire that works for all.

But the implication of this is that, in the meantime, there won’t be a better-connected and greener West Yorkshire that works for all.

And this looks like spin to me:

The Government is also considering adding Mass Transit, the largest local transport project in the country, onto the Government’s Major Projects Portfolio, further bolstering the scheme’s standing as an important national infrastructure priority.    

This would provide access to further expertise and support for the scheme, while also looking at other ways to cut red tape and accelerate the programme. 

More oversight is less red tape; it will happen as quickly as possible in spite of the delay.

Orwellian levels of spin.