The West Yorkshire Combined Authority Investment Committee has backed plans to develop a new £39 million High-Speed Rail Institute in Leeds

The planned Institute, which is a joint development led by the University of Leeds will provide Leeds City Region with a major hub for high-speed rail innovation.

The Institute is supported by a joint investment of £39m from the University, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and other partners.

Plans for the centre hope to give the UK unrivalled resources to develop high-speed rail planning, design, construction and manufacturing.

Cllr Peter Box, Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Investment Committee said: “Developing the Institute for High-Speed Rail and System Integration with the University of Leeds will mean that the Leeds City Region, already at the cutting edge of the digital, manufacturing and innovation sectors, will be home to a unique research, innovation and training facility.

“The Institute will build upon the existing regional academic and industry expertise at the University of Huddersfield’s Institute of Railway Research and will help cement us as a worldwide centre of excellence with all the economic benefits that reputation will bring.”

Located on a new University of Leeds development within the Leeds Gateway 45 Enterprise Zone, it will include state-of-the-art infrastructure and test facilities to unlock high-speed rail’s full potential regionally, nationally and globally.

Professor Lisa Roberts, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation, at the University of Leeds, added: “This is a very welcome investment in the Institute, supporting the development and construction of the country’s high-speed network.

“It will create jobs and skills opportunities, and positions the region and the UK as pioneers in modern high-speed rail technologies.”