West Yorkshire transport bosses have unveiled new branding for the region’s public transport network, pledging a “bold new era”.The Weaver Network was launched by Mayor Tracy Brabin and West Yorkshire council leaders at Millennium Square in Leeds.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) said the single branding across the network would make it “easier and more accessible” for passengers.

The previous Metro logo – a large ‘M’ – has been in place since 1974, says the BBC.

Ms Brabin said the region had suffered from a “disjointed, confusing and increasingly hard-to-navigate public transport system” for too long. The new Weaver Network was “a fresh, modern identity”, she said.

The name was inspired by the region’s industrial past, WYCA said, and “visually reflects the cultural fabric of modern-day West Yorkshire”. The rebrand follows “extensive work” to explore the area’s cultural identity.

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, who helped devise the new brand, said: “I’m West Yorkshire born and bred, a public transport user, a geography graduate and a poet – in many ways it was the perfect invitation.

“To me, the Weaver Network name symbolises the threads connecting people with places, shuttling to-and-fro, built on heritage and creating new ties and links.”

To be cost-effective, the WYCA said, the new Weaver brand would be gradually introduced, starting with replacements of the M at existing bus stops and stations, and the Metro brand would not disappear immediately – people would still be able to use tickets and passes.

The authority said when buses are taken under local control from 2027, the new branding will then be rolled out further and eventually included on the planned West Yorkshire tram system, to be started in 2028.

Ms Brabin said: “This will help us on our journey to creating an easier-to-use transport system [which] demonstrates our ambition to create a better-connected region that works for all.”

(Pic: Weaver Network)