West Yorkshire moves towards fully integrated transport under Weaver Network brand

West Yorkshire Combined Authority has announced its intention to offer a single branding for its transport services – The Weaver Network – replacing the Metro name and its related identifies that have been in use across West Yorkshire for over 50 years.

Unveiled by Mayor Tracy Brabin and West Yorkshire's five council leaders at Millennium Square in Leeds, the new branding follows extensive work to explore the region’s cultural identity, including the involvement of poet laureate and West Yorkshire resident Simon Armitage.

The Weaver Network name is inspired by the region's industrial past and visually reflects the cultural fabric of modern-day West Yorkshire. It will drive forward an overriding ambition to improve lives by connecting people with places.

No doubt hoping to replicate the success of Greater Manchester’s Bee Network, the intention is to gradually introduce the brand, 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, “For too long, our region has suffered from a disjointed, confusing, and increasingly hard to navigate public transport system.

“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.

“This will help us on our journey to creating a transport system that is easier to use, and demonstrates our ambition to create a better-connected region that works for all.”

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 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.”

A decision was taken by the Combined Authority in January 2025 to retire the Metro brand and related identities such as Leeds Park and Ride, and CityConnect, and adopt a new brand and identity to be used across an integrated transport network for West Yorkshire.

The Weaver Network will unify public transport and active travel modes, as well as simplifying fares, travel information and journey planning.