The West of England metro mayor has denied "blowing millions" on studies exploring the costs of an underground network. Dan Norris said spending money was “sensible” despite admitting that the multi-billion pound project was “unlikely”.
Late last year Bristol mayor Marvin Rees pledged to spend £15 million on exploring how a light-rail metro network could be built in the city and surrounding areas. Four lines are planned, some of which would be built underground.
Speaking to John Darvall on BBC Radio Bristol on Wednesday, May 31, Mr Norris was questioned on whether the West of England Combined Authority was still going to spend £15 million the study. After the interview he later clarified that the cash was "earmarked" but not yet "allocated" — a key difference.
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Mr Norris said: “What I want to do is allow that work to complete. At the moment we have to do a cost-benefit analysis of all the different options that are currently being considered, one of which is the underground system that Marvin’s keen on.
“Underground [rail] is hugely expensive and the whole economic situation has changed. Governments have been giving money away to subsidise energy bills for us all, which is the right thing to do in my view, but means that money isn’t there to build transport systems.”
Estimates for the total cost of an underground network have varied from £4 billion to £18 billion. Mr Rees first announced his plans for a Bristol underground in 2017, but six years later no construction work has yet begun. Last month, he said his flagship project might not survive after his second term running Bristol City Council ends in May next year.
Mr Norris denied that the West of England was “blowing millions of pounds” on exploring the costs and benefits of an underground network. Asked if he was still going to spend £15 million on the controversial underground study, the metro mayor raised doubts about whether the project would ever actually be built.
He said: “We’ve got enough money to carry on that work for now. I think it’s so unlikely as to be not possible. I just think the cost is too vast based on the information we’ve seen so far. But we still continue to look at all the different options that are being considered, because that’s the sensible and right thing to do.
“What we’re not going to do is blow millions of pounds doing work if it’s obvious that it’s not the right thing. But I’m not committing any money to anything that isn’t purposeful. If it’s going to come up with a conclusion that I already know the answer to, then I’m not wasting that money.”
This article was edited at 1pm on June 6 to clarify that the West of England metro mayor had not "confirmed" the £15m would be spent on the study, as was previously reported.
