[6] When the Integrated Rail Plan was released in November 2021, it was revealed that the eastern leg of the HS2 project into Leeds was cancelled.

Instead, a mass transit system, as proposed by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), was given funding to progress.

Some have labelled this as a "consolation prize", whilst it has been noted that Leeds is the largest city in western Europe without a metro-style system.

[7][8] The mass transit system aims to connect 675,000 people across the West Yorkshire region.

In March 2022, the transport minister, Andrew Stephenson, stated that the passenger numbers of those travelling between Bradford and Manchester was low compared to those travelling from Bradford to other places within West Yorkshire, which was why the government favoured a mass transit system and route upgrades, rather than building a new line.