Light rail leaders have welcomed a pledge by the Prime Minister to support the expansion of the sector in the UK.

During the Conservative Party conference this week, Rishi Sunak announced funding for an integrated transport scheme in West Yorkshire, which includes a new mass transit system, and for extensions to several existing systems across the country.

Responding to the news, the light rail sector’s representative body says that it is looking forward to working with the government on bringing the schemes to fruition.

James Hammett, Managing Director of UKTram, commented: “While many of our members will be disappointed at the cancellation of the northern leg of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester, we are pleased that the Prime Minister has recognised the importance of tramways and similar transit systems to fully integrated transport networks, and also their ability to drive economic growth.

“In terms of environmentally friendly urban transport, the UK lags behind many European countries, where most large cities have successful transit systems. However, this announcement by the Prime Minister marks a significant commitment to the growth of light rail in the UK.

“We now await further details of the promised funding and stand ready to help Ministers, the Department for Transport and other relevant authorities to bring the many benefits of light rail to even more communities across the country.”