In this weeks light rail round-up for the British Isles: Smarter Travel Student Awards 2026 Winners Announced by Transport for Ireland, Ambitious plans for heritage trams remain on track and Edinburgh Trams highlights May events across the capital. Plus, NET to carry out week-long tram maintenance works, Supertram's time-saving Optibus system comes to South Yorkshire, contactless travel use grows on Glasgow Subway and Tyne and Wear Metro names new maintenance vehicle ‘Ariana

Renewed funding from the Department for Transport will enable two organisations at the heart of the UK’s light rail sector to continue their vital work. The Light Rail Safety and Standards Board and UKTram have both welcomed an agreement that will see them share a total of £4.5 million over the next three years.

UKTram is pleased to welcome Telent as a new member, strengthening the organisation’s growing community.

UKTram is pleased to announce that tickets for the UKTram & LRSSB Light Rail Summit 2026 will be released on the 5th of May, ahead of the sector’s annual gathering taking place on Wednesday 16th September.

Countdown to UK Rail 2026: UKTram set to join sector at NEC Birmingham

In the UK and Ireland, Light Rail Round-up this week: West Midlands Metro Eastside extension opens to Millennium Point and seeks public input on new route naming, Supertram upgrades to continue with Bank Holiday engineering works, Manchester Marathon drives record-breaking day for Metrolink, and rare pre-opening Tyne and Wear Metro tickets discovered by a collector. UK Light Rail Conference 2026 programme launched for milestone 20th year, Heritage Tramways Committee focuses o

UKTram has announced new leadership for its Light Rail Operations Committee (LROC), following the recent decision by Steve Mabey to step down from his role as Chair.

Held at UKTram’s offices, representatives from across the heritage tramway community met online and in person to share recent updates and explore opportunities to strengthen engagement with visitors. It was acknowledged that this was the 40th meeting of the group which has been running for over ten years.

UKTram representatives recently visited UKTram member Voestalpine Turnout Technology UK Ltd in Harworth to gain insight into the latest developments in switch and crossing (S&C) technology and quality assurance processes.

Marking World Public Transport Day, this week’s round-up highlights the vital role light rail continues to play in keeping communities connected and people moving. Across the UK and Ireland, networks are supporting events, progressing investment and building on resilience, underlining the impact of public transport in everyday life.

UKTram has supported the delivery of its first Light Rail and Tramway Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) training course, marking an important step in strengthening sector competency, capability and safety. Delivered in partnership with Skillstep Group in Crewe from 30th March to 1st April 2026, the three-day course combined theoretical learning with practical, hands-on training, providing delegates with a structured understanding of UK light rail OLE systems and safe working pra

Sharing insight across the light rail sector UKTram was represented at a recent industry networking event in Dublin, bringing together professionals from across the UK and Ireland to discuss the progress and future direction of light rail. The BITA Rail Division Networking Evening, held on the 8th of April, was organised in partnership with Rail Link ahead of its wider industry event. The session focused on light rail and provided a platform for sharing insights on develo

UKTram will participate in an industry seminar bringing together leading organisations from the rail and light rail sectors to discuss the future of urban transport. The event will take place at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds on 14 May 2026 and will be hosted by RailEi (formerly the Permanent Way Institution).

In this week's UK and Ireland Tram and Light Rail new round-up: Magna Tram Train station officially opens on Supertram network, NET to increase penalty fare for fare evasion, Edinburgh shares round-up of events for April and West Midlands Metro partners with Clayton Hotel. Plus, Mayor’s fares arrive on Tyne and Wear Metro – delivering customer savings and KeolisAmey Docklands and Metrolink shortlisted for Women in Rail Awards. Heritage highlights this week include National Tr

UKTram has confirmed its continued support for the Global Light Rail Awards in 2026, recognising the importance of celebrating achievement and innovation across the sector.

UKTram’s recent Trade & Trams session brought suppliers, engineers and operators together for a focused afternoon exploring innovation and technical practice across the light rail sector. The online session took place on 31st March for Light Rail Engineering Group (LREG) members. 40 people joined to share and learn about new technologies and lessons learned from light rail systems.

In the UK and Ireland tram and light rail round-up: West Midlands Metro extension to Millennium Point opens this Easter, NET invites nominations for 2026 Community Hero tram and Tyne and Wear Metro introduces fare cap and new easyJet partnership. Also featured this week: MetroLink's contract notices for utilities and enabling works and TravelSafe LiveChat campaign targets young passengers across Bee Network. Heritage highlights include Easter events and Beamish tramway infras

UKTram’s Light Rail Operators Committee (LROC) met in Edinburgh on 26th March, with the session hosted by Edinburgh Trams at Gogar Tram Depot. The meeting offered another valuable opportunity for operators across the sector to engage in open discussion and share insights.

UKTram has reached a significant milestone, with its Heritage Tramway community now representing all heritage tramways across the UK and British Isles.

In this week’s UK and Ireland tram and light rail roundup: Police patrols on West Midlands Metro and Tyne and Wear Metro, Edinburgh Trams promotes LRSSB safety campaign, Manchester Metrolink urges customers to plan ahead during engineering works, news station set to open in South Yorkshire, LRSSB forges closer links with BSI, Glasgow Subway set to extend opening hours, plus essential engineering works taking place on the Luas Red line. Heritage highlights include Easter fun a