The debate of the Leeds trams feels as if it's been going since the dawn of time.
As the largest city in Europe without a tram or metro system, it's often thought that that city is missing out on key transport links, but since the closure of the old tram network in 1959, nothing has ever been developed.
This said, that doesn't mean that there haven't been plans to do so- and one of the most exciting was the plan from Council Transport General Manager Vayne Moorland to move the existing tram network by taking it all underground, hidden from sight during the 1940s.
The plans to build a mass transit underground railway system, similar to the London Metro, were drawn up around the time of the World War using two single deck converted electric trams with a main station at City Square.
YouTuber, Adventure Me, explored the plans over the Christmas period to explain how the plans could have come to life.
There would have been seven entrances in total and two levels of services, including a large concourse area for purchasing tickets and it is rumoured that there were experimental tunnels and chambers that were dug out to see how the plans could come to life underneath City Square.
There's photographs of the 'excavation of Marsh Lane Subway' that could have been for utility tunnels, or if you want to believe that there's more to it, they could have been a part of the plans.
But one fact that has been confirmed is that there was even a prototype tram purchased for testing the subway in Leeds, which is still available to see today at the National Tramway Museum in Derbyshire.
Image: Crich Tramway Village, Jim Dignan
AdventureMe headed over to City Square to see if there were any hatches alluding to underground tunnels, explaining that there's always evidence at these sites as access is still needed for emergency measures like flooding. The YouTuber concluded that they may just be electric substations, though he was still "filled with suspicion".
So if you catch yourself walking through City Square wondering what could have been lying beneath your feet, you're not alone.
Feature Image- Unsplash
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Here’s how you can get FREE Tony’s Chocolonely and Yorkshire Tea in Leeds next week
In honour of National Chocolate Week, two big brands are joining forces.
Fancy a freebie? Silly question, of course you do.
Tony’s Chocolonely and Yorkshire Tea have joined forces for National Chocolate Week to ask Brits to declare themselves a ‘Melt’...yes, really.
It comes after the brands discovering a new Gen Z dunking trend, with research finding that 80% of 18–24-year-olds say chocolate is their preferred tea-dunking treat.
To understand why the perculiar pairing has become so popular, the brands recruited Associate Professor of Psychobiology, Dr Lorenzo Stafford, to investigate what happens when tea and chocolate come together.
Associate Professor, Dr Lorenzo Stafford said: "It's fascinating to see how much thought Brits put into what makes a great dunk. Flavour, texture and temperature all shape how we experience food, and the combination of hot tea with melting chocolate creates a particularly enjoyable sensory experience.
"When it comes to dunking, tea and chocolate have great chemistry so it’s no surprise young people have embraced it."
If you want to try it out for yourself, then you can for free - but there is one catch.
From Monday 19 to Friday 23 October, anyone who walks into one of Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds and says ‘I'm a Melt’ will get a free mug of Yorkshire Tea and bar of Tony's Chocolonely.
Not only that, but the first 100 customers will also get a limited-edition ‘Melt’ cap.
Yorkshire Tea & Tony’s Chocolonely said of the partnership, “Brits love their tea and their chocolate and now the science shows why. This National Chocolate Week, we’re inviting everyone to give it a go, embrace their inner Melt and discover just how well chunky chocolate and a proper brew can work together.”
Leeds Bradford Airport strikes will NOT go ahead following ‘late offer’ over pay
Clementine Hall
This weekend's strikes at Leeds Bradford Airport have been cancelled.
Around 130 workers were set to walk out this weekend, Unite said, but this has been suspended to allow air traffic controllers to consider a new pay offer.
The Unite members planning on to go on strike were a mixture of air traffic control workers, customer experience staff, security staff and cleaners.
The workers involved in the dispute had recently come out of a four-year pay deal, with some of the departments having fallen behind other airports in equivalent roles.
Pay talks have been happening since December 2025, with the airport's formal offer not going far enough to address the lack of pay parity which led to the decision to strike.
However, as of yesterday 15 October, the workers have been given new pay offers from the airport and the strikes will not take place to allow a ballot on the offers.
Air traffic controllers and hourly paid staff are being balloted separately on their respective offers.
Unite regional officer Neil Whitaker said: "After receiving offers from Leeds Bradford Airport, we have suspended this week’s strike action in good faith to allow members to vote on pay deals.”
In a statement, Leeds Bradford Airport said: "While the ballot process continues with certain members of our frontline colleagues, we remain hopeful that a positive outcome can be achieved and that an agreement can be reached which works for everyone involved.
"Regardless of the outcome of this ballot, LBA has a robust contingency plan in place and will be operating as normal this weekend.
"Our focus remains on supporting a smooth and reliable experience for customers while maintaining safe and efficient airport operations."
Sophie Smith -
12th March 2024 
