Metro has welcomed the news that the Department for Transport has earmarked between 60 and 90 new rail carriages for West Yorkshire, to be introduced from 2009.

Director General Kieran Preston said, “Metro’s own projections show a 50% growth in rail passenger numbers over the coming years and this was backed up by the Regional Planning Assessment process that the Department for Transport has used to calculate the number of carriages required.

“This investment of around £100m in an additional 60 to 90 carriages will go a long way towards meeting this growing demand on our rail network and is very good news for rail travellers across the City Region.”