Ten cities shortlisted for transport funding across England

Ten city regions across England have been shortlisted to bid a share of £840 million to upgrade public transport links and connecting them to work areas, the Prime Minister has announced.

As part of the government'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.

This funding could go towards upgrades such as new bus routes between residential areas and major employment hubs, smart technology aimed at reducing congestion, or rolling out docking stations for e-bikes.

The ten 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, £60 million 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 projects supported by the Transforming Cities Fund will also help progress the government’s mission to radically improve the ways in which people, goods and services move around the country through its Future of Mobility Grand Challenge.