I asked them directly and they got back to me. Which is splendid!
Few people are aware that they can contact any government department directly to ask a question about government policy. Responses to members of the public are normally responded to by junior civil servants, countersigned by a middle manager. If the correspondence is from an elected councillor, depending on the issue it may be signed off by the head of policy/senior civil servant responsible for that area, or by a junior minister.
The civil servants wrote as follows:
“Thank you for your correspondence of the 14/04/2025 addressed to the Department for Transport about trams and light rail in England. We are responding as the team responsible for mass transit policy.
“Local transport, including mass transit, is devolved to local authorities in England. Each local authority owns and is responsible for the operation and financial sustainability of its own system, and for upgrades and any potential extensions. It is for local authorities to bring forward mass transit plans, as they are best placed to identify possible opportunities and the potential benefits of such schemes.
“The government recognises that good local transport services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities, and they have a key role to play in helping to deliver this government’s Plan for Change. The government also recognises the valuable role that mass transit networks can play as part of a truly integrated transport system, in the right circumstances, in our cities.
“The Department remains mode neutral towards locally proposed mass transit interventions, including light rail schemes, which can be among the most expensive local transport interventions. The Department encourages local authorities to consider proportionality and sustainability by assessing a range of modal options in addressing transport challenges.”
Ends/
So, what do you make of it?
I can only think that this response – welcome as it is, generates more questions than answers. Not least because different types of local council have different services to be responsible for. After all, “It is for local authorities to bring forward mass transit plans” – does that include district councils that have no public transport function but who are responsible for taxi licensing? (I know, local government structures are a mess). Furthermore, what guidance is there for councils when it comes to developing ideas and solutions? What funding is available to pay for the specialist staff or consultants to do the work? (It’s a very nice cash cow for transport consultancies but how many of their schemes actually get built?)
For any of you that want to follow up with your own questions on transport, you can contact the department directly via https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/contact-department-for-transport/
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Below – what National Audit Office said about Light Rail 20 years ago.
The Cambridge Town Owl 