South Yorkshire’s transport system will be known as the ‘People’s Network’, with trams, buses and cycle hire coming under public control.
The plan was presented Monday by the region’s mayor, Oliver Coppard, who said it would create an affordable, united network in the colors of molten orange and asphalt black. A large fleet of electric buses and 25 new trams will be introduced over the next five years.
The buses will become franchised and under public control next year, joining Supertram, which returned to the combined authority in 2024.
Coppard said it was “a unique change to the way transport works in South Yorkshire”.
He added: “The vision for that transportation network is united. It is sustainable. It is one that puts people at its center. It is affordable. And we will make those principles true in everything we do in the future.”
People’s Network follows the successful launch of Bee Network in Greater Manchester and announced plans for Weaver Network in West Yorkshire.
Around £1.5bn of investment from devolved funding deals will go into the network over the next five years, including £630m for the renewal and upgrade of the Supertram system and £350m for buses.
Around 70% of the bus fleet will be electric at the start of the switch to franchising in 2027, and funding for 186 zero-emission buses in Sheffield has already been confirmed.
Bike rental services in the city will be rebranded next year with the new colors.
“We are referencing the coal, the steel, the industrial heritage, the spark of ingenuity, that South Yorkshire is so famous for,” Coppard said.
“We’re incredibly proud of the history and heritage. I grew up in a place called the People’s Republic of South Yorkshire. And that’s what the South Yorkshire People’s Network is all about.”
Fares have not been confirmed, but Coppard said he hoped to offer free rides to under-18s along with more funding for programs promoting road safety, walking, wheeling and cycling.
Doncaster Sheffield Airport is also scheduled to reopen in 2028, with a separate subsidy. It closed in 2022 because airlines deemed it commercially unviable, but Coppard said it was “a big part of our plans,” adding: “Over time, being able to get to the airport by tram or train should improve viability (and) increase passenger numbers.”
The region will benefit from a major investment announced for Northern Powerhouse Rail, which had been championed by David Blunkett, former Sheffield council leader and Labor home secretary.
The pair said: “We have a real opportunity to transform the way people travel, improving connections to support economic growth. A transport network that works for everyone is essential to South Yorkshire’s future, as it has been in the past, and the vision is a vital step in achieving this.”
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “South Yorkshire has a bright future ahead of it. But to realize its destiny, the city region needs a transport network that connects people more easily to the better-paid jobs and opportunities being created here – something that is too often not achieved today.”
