Shortlisted regions for £840m government transport fund revealed

Ten regions across the UK have been shortlisted for an £840m public transport fund as part of the governemnt’s Transforming Cities Fund.

Local authorities in Derby & Nottingham, Leicester City, the North East, Norwich, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southampton, Sheffield, Stoke-on-Trent and West Yorkshire will bid for a share of the funding.

The 10 shortlisted city regions will each receive an initial £50,000 as well as bespoke support from government to co-develop the strongest cases for investment.

Once finalised, funding decisions will consider the relative strength of each bid and their impact on improving connectivity, supporting employment and driving up productivity.

While the city regions finalise proposals, £60m from the fund will be made available over the next year to share across transport schemes aimed at tackling head on some of the most pressing challenges faced by communities.

The shortlist marks the next stage of the £1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund, with six mayoral combined authorities already having received a share of £840m to deliver schemes such as the Brierley Hill tram lines extension in the West Midlands.

It has also contributed £160m towards the Beeline Cycle Network in Greater Manchester which is set to be the largest network of its kind in the UK, with the proposal including 1,000 miles of interlinked bike and pedestrian lanes.