West Yorkshire public transport is set to relace the “Metro” brand with “Weaver Network”. But the change will take a while to be fully implemented, starting with existing planned replacements at bus stops and stations. The branding will then be rolled out further when buses are taken under local control from 2027, before being included on the planned West Yorkshire tram system, for which construction work will start in 2028.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “The Weaver Network is a fresh, modern identity for transport in West Yorkshire, reflecting our greater powers through devolution, as well as our ongoing work to bring buses back under public control and create a fully-integrated mass transit network.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority Transport Committee chair Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe said: “Our role within public transport in the region is constantly evolving – the Metro brand was created in 1974, and our organisation’s roles and responsibilities have changed immeasurably since then.
“With the Mayor’s decision to take back control of the bus network, we are now moving towards a fully integrated transport network under one brand, replacing about 19 different brands currently in use. The Weaver Network will reflect a public transport network that the region can be proud of, while helping the public to understand who is responsible for helping them travel to where they need to be.”
Simon Armitage, national Poet Laureate and West Yorkshire resident, who was involved with the re-brand, said: “I was pleased and proud to be part of a conversation about the naming of the future transport network – I’m West Yorkshire born and bred, a public transport user, a geography graduate and a poet – in many ways it was the perfect invitation.
“To me, The Weaver Network name symbolises the threads connecting people with places, shuttling to and fro, built on heritage and creating new ties and links.”
