Meet the UKTram Board: Steve Mabey, Head of Operational Planning and Delivery at KeolisAmey Metrolink
As Head of Operational Planning and Delivery at KeolisAmey Metrolink, Steve Mabey brings a wealth of hands-on operational experience and strategic insight to the UKTram Board.
A safety-first leader with a proven track record in driving continuous improvement, Steve has played a key role in shaping operational standards across the Manchester Metrolink network, the UK's largest light rail system. Steve joined the UKTram Board last year and has also served as Chair of the Light Rail Operators Committee, helping to enable collaboration and share best practice across networks nationwide.
We caught up with Steve to discuss his journey through the industry, the importance of shared learning and his thoughts on the future of light rail.
Q: You've been leading the UKTram Light Rail Operations Group for the nearly four years now. What achievements or progress are you most proud of?
Steve: What I'm most proud of is the way we've brought operators together to share best practice and tackle common challenges. Whether around safety, operational standards or passenger experience, the group has become a real forum for collaboration, something that's vital in our sector where no two systems are exactly the same, but the lessons we learn are universally valuable.
Q: Your work at Metrolink includes disruption and adverse weather management strategies. How will this kind of planning shape operational resilience across light rail?
Steve: We've invested a lot of time at Metrolink in developing disruption and adverse weather management strategies. This kind of forward planning is essential. We want to avoid reacting quickly when things go wrong and instead anticipate issues and build flexibility into operations. We want to make sure our teams have the tools and training they need to respond. I'm also a big fan of simplifying processes and materials to speed up response times. Across the sector, the more we embed this planning into day-to-day operations, the more reliable and trusted light rail will become as a transport mode.
Q: Where do you see the biggest opportunities for innovation and growth in UK light rail over the next five years?
Steve: I think there are huge opportunities over the next five years. Innovation in ticketing and customer information is advancing quickly, all helping the move towards a simplified door-to-door public transport offering. Additionally, I see the rise in AI and feel that as an industry there is an opportunity to see how this could support our Engineering and Operations functions to create better resilience.
Q: As a UKTram Board member for nearly a year now, how do you hope to support the organisation's mission to drive sustainable growth and collaboration across the sector?
Steve: I want to continue building on the organisation's mission to drive sustainable growth. For me, that means strengthening collaboration across operators, suppliers and local authorities so that we're not just solving today's problems but preparing for tomorrow. If we can continue and further increase collaboration, we can make sure that Light Rail is considered a 'must have' for cities across the U.K.
Q: Any just for fun - if you could name a tram after anyone (past or present), who would it be and why?
Steve: Maxi Jazz. I love Dance/Electronic music and Faithless Insomnia was the first track that got me into listening to Dance music. Music is my safe place, and I use it to help me reflect and focus and often to decompress after a busy day at work.
We’d like to thank Steve for sharing his insights and continued contribution to the light rail community. His leadership and passion for collaboration make him an invaluable part of both the Light Rail Operators Committee and the UKTram Board and we’re delighted to have his expertise helping to steer the sector forward.