Meet Trevor Stocker – Vice Chair of the UKTram Light Rail Operators Committee

With more than two decades of experience in light rail, Trevor Stocker has built a career spanning training, service delivery, projects, operations and safety. Having recently moved from Nottingham to become Head of Service Delivery at Supertram, Trevor was appointed Vice Chair of UKTram’s Light Rail Operators Committee (LROC) earlier this year.

Trevor’s route into the sector was far from conventional. Before joining Nottingham Trams, he trained as a chef and spent more than a decade working in hospitality and catering, including several years living and working in Hamburg. Looking for a completely different career, an advert for tram conductors and drivers caught his attention – and began a light rail career that has now lasted more than 20 years. In this feature, we chat to Trevor about his journey into light rail, what he's learned from working across different operations, and the value of collaboration between networks.

You’ve worked in light rail for more than 20 years, progressing through training, service delivery, projects, operations and safety. What first attracted you to the sector and what’s kept you in it?

Prior to starting my light rail career at Nottingham Trams, I studied at college to become a chef and worked for over a decade in the hospitality and catering industry. During that time, I got to travel the world in my first “proper job” with P&O Containers, and I lived in Hamburg, Germany, for many years, working in a number of restaurants before returning to the UK.

I guess I was just ready to do something completely different from what I had been doing. I saw the job advert for tram conductors and tram drivers and thought, “That ticks the different box, let’s give it a try.”

Since then, I have gradually fallen in love with the industry and grown to understand the positive impact tramways can have on people’s lives. Whether it’s getting to work or school, or seeing family and friends, our networks are a great way to connect. Especially for those with additional mobility needs, the tram can be a real lifeline to get out and about.

It’s fascinating to learn about and understand all the interdependencies amongst the different transport modes and how we all fit together. I have also found working with community groups around the tramway tremendously rewarding. Working with the Pythian Club in Nottingham, for example, made a positive impact on young people’s lives and also reduced anti-social behaviour.

I love the buzz around the big events on the network too. This year in Sheffield, I got to experience my first Tramlines Festival. Over the three days, we carried nearly 80,000 people – a Supertram record for the festival. There is a lot to be excited about for our industry, and I am passionate about contributing to it!

You’ve been involved with LROC for nearly a decade. What have you valued most about the group during that time, and what made you want to take on the role of Vice Chair?

I first came to LROC with the legendary Mike Mabey, previous LROC Chair for many years. I have always found the group to be welcoming and engaging. Over the years, I have built up great friendships and connections within the group, which can provide a “safe space” to sound out an issue, take advice from another or celebrate achievements.

There is an immense depth of knowledge and corporate experience within the group, and everyone is always so willing to help. I try to embody those values now too, and that is really what encouraged me to take on the Vice Chair role.

It gives me the opportunity to give back a little to an industry that has given me so much over the years. I can help and develop others, as well as raising the profile of the light rail community.

Having recently moved from Nottingham to your role as Head of Service Delivery at Supertram, what lessons from working across different light rail operations do you think are particularly valuable for the sector to share?

When I think about this, I think back to my days as a chef. You need all the right ingredients to make a fantastic cake – the right number of eggs, sugar, butter and flour.

For me, working in service delivery is all about balancing the ingredients. Do we have enough drivers and conductors, the right timetable, enough trams, the control room and so on? They all play an important role in delivering for our customers, and without one ingredient, you would have a pretty rubbish tram cake!

We need to remember the value of all the ingredients and take care of them to get the best results.

Looking ahead, what would you like LROC to focus on, and where do you think operators can gain the most from working more closely together?

I think we have a strong and growing LROC community, and I see it as my role to work with the fantastic UKTram team and our new Chair, Graham, to make sure the sessions continue to add value for everyone.

I encourage all operators to connect with each other outside the LROC meetings to discuss projects, issues, or best practice. LROC provides the platform and the introductions; the value is in building your own network and experiences.

We all have busy schedules, and making time for LROC is important to keep the community strong and build on what we already have. Graham and I have a few changes we are looking to introduce for the next meetings, so keep an eye out for those...

Just for fun: After more than 20 years in light rail, if you could swap jobs with anyone on a tram network for the day, which role would you choose?

This is a difficult one, as I have done so many different roles and I love getting out and about with the team on the network. I am rubbish with tools and DIY and don’t think I would make a very good engineer! I do love to drive a tram though. Feeling like you are moving along and taking people on their daily adventures – that’s just the best.

As light rail networks continue to develop, sharing operational experience and creating strong connections between those responsible for delivering services remains an important part of UKTram’s work. In his new role as Vice Chair of the Light Rail Operations Group, Trevor will work alongside Chair Graham and colleagues across UKTram’s membership to build on the strong LROC community and encourage operators to keep learning from one another.