Executive Group highlights growth, innovation and safety priorities across networks

The latest meeting of the UKTram Executive Group brought together senior leaders from across the sector to share insight, review progress and explore collaborative responses to current challenges and opportunities.

A key focus was on patronage recovery, with encouraging reports from networks including Luas, Manchester and West Midlands Metro, all of which are currently seeing passenger numbers exceed expectations.

Discussion also centred on ticketing innovation and energy efficiency, with updates from Nottingham and Edinburgh. Nottingham’s ongoing use of Eco-Drive continues to support operational efficiency, while Edinburgh Trams shared early results on energy savings and the rollout of its Tap-on, Tap-off contactless payment system, which will be fully integrated with Lothian Buses from Monday 19th May.

Looking ahead, members agreed to dedicate a future update slot to Edinburgh Trams, who will present their findings on ticketing integration and Eco-Drive performance to the wider group.

Members went on to address shared challenges, including the impact of Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs) and trap and drag incidents, both of which affect tram availability and service resilience. The group discussed best practice and agreed to explore the creation of a mini working group to address incident reduction and to support passenger education, with further input from LRSSB to be sought. The meeting also acknowledged London Trams 25th anniversary, with upcoming events planned throughout the year to mark the milestone. Members welcomed the opportunity to celebrate the long-standing contribution of London Trams to the capital’s transport landscape.

James Hammett, Managing Director of UKTram, who chaired the meeting, said:

“The Executive Group continues to show the strength of shared leadership across the light rail sector. It’s encouraging to see networks not only aligning around common goals, but also learning from one another’s successes and working collaboratively to overcome shared challenges."

These conversations continue to shape a proactive, coordinated response to sector challenges while supporting innovation and operational excellence across networks.