Famous UK city could get huge new tram network after £18bn scheme shelved

A major UK city could be getting a huge new tram network - after an £18bn plan to build an underground railway looks set to get quietly shelved.

For years, politicians in Bristol have squabbled about building either an underground rail network, favoured by former Labour mayor Marvin Rees, or a tram network. The tram plan was backed by the Greens — who largely took control of Bristol City Council in May.

Last year a secret report was finally released that concluded a Bristol underground would cost more than £18 billion. Millions of pounds of taxpayer money has already been spent on the plan, which now looks very unlikely to get off (or under) the ground

However, former prime minister Rishi Sunak vowed to make £100m of funding available for a mass transit system in Bristol. And a West of England Combined Authority report said it is "vital the project progresses".  

The report highlighted "the strategic importance of this project and the contribution it will make in achieving economic growth and environmental improvements for the region". But it said that "preliminary costings included in the strategic outline case for options that involve significant tunnelling are substantial" and "could be considered to be unaffordable".

The report added: “Therefore, as part of a pragmatic approach, officers will develop proposals to enable the progression to outline business case stage, of route options that do not involve significant tunnelling for consideration, by the committee in September 2024.”

It's now thought that redesigning of the proposed mass transit to avoid extensive tunnelling, given the high costs involved, will mean a tram network will be created instead, reported Bristol Live.  

It comes two decades after a £200 million - or £323 million in today’s prices - plan for a Bristol 'Supertram' was scrapped after some of the money earmarked for trans was used elsewhere, to help minimise council tax increases.

However, Bristol Live's comment section suggests the city's residents are now getting fed up with waiting. A user with the name Grockel said: "Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield cracked on with it and have had trams/trolleybuses in operation for over 15 years whilst in Bristol it is more feasibility studies."

Richard James fumed: "How long does it take to get the message across that a Tram system is the most effective and cheapest option??!!!!! Money wasted by Bristol City Council on useless alternatives over the last 40 or so years (including the 'underground')."

Bbski vented: "Stop spending money on these surveys! We seem to be spending a fortune on bus lanes and bike lanes that don't seem to work.

"Let's look at the vehicles that we drive, most are huge due to the 'crash protection' and far too powerful, who needs 0 to 60 in 5 secs, tax them out of existence! ".

Dizzy1 said: "It's strange how many things that were done in the past that were decommissioned and destroyed are now making a return. We had a mass transit system once before many years ago, maybe they should have left it running back then."

And Junius 1 said: "Alternatives to an underground should have been explored way back in 2017, If this had been the case, things would be well progressed by now and the West of England would have benefitted from a mass transit central funding pot.

"Mass transit should result in faster, cleaner and more convenient travel throughout the city, significantly cutting the need for car journeys."

However, Katiem questioned the practicality of trams. They said: "Trams will force cars off roads that are not wide enough for both. I am not sure why a good bus system does not fill the void."