Decades of collaboration: How LROC continues to support light rail operators
As UKTram prepares for its fourth and final Light Rail Operators Committee (LROC) meeting of 2026, hosted by Transport for Wales in Cardiff on 3rd December, the organisation is reflecting on the longstanding value of operators working together to overcome shared challenges.
LROC’s origins can be traced back to the Light Rail Group, an informal gathering established in the early 1990s to discuss safety, operational matters and issues affecting staff.
Former Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Fixed Track Executive David Walmsley, who helped coordinate the meetings for many years, recalled that the group was already well established by 1997.
Originally championed by Bill Scott of Tyne and Wear Metro, the group met quarterly at different networks, much as LROC does today. Around 2001–2002, it became a sub-committee of CPT’s Fixed Track Section and adopted the LROC name, before becoming part of UKTram in 2012.
More than three decades later, LROC continues to provide a forum where operators can exchange experiences and best practice, and explore solutions to shared challenges across their networks.
UKTram’s Request for Information (RFI) process supports this work, enabling members to seek advice from other operators on challenges ranging from tram warning systems and overhead line equipment to driver medical requirements and maintenance procedures.
These discussions have also contributed to the development of Best Practice Guides, available through UKTram’s Members’ Hub. Resources covering driver rostering, recruitment and training bring together approaches from across the sector, helping operators learn from one another’s experiences.
Reflecting on the committee’s value, Steve Duckering of UKTram said:
“LROC has always been about operators helping operators. We regularly see examples of one network raising an issue that others have already encountered, and that willingness to share experiences can help members find practical solutions.
“It’s the same collaboration that brought the original group together more than 30 years ago that remains at the heart of LROC today.”
The forthcoming meeting in Cardiff will provide another opportunity for operators to discuss current priorities and share learning, continuing a tradition that has supported the sector for more than three decades.
UKTram members can access the Best Practice Guides and RFI Library through the Member Hub.
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