Light Rail Engineering Group and Operators Committee share best practice ahead of Light Rail Summit

Light Rail Engineers and Operators from across the UK and Ireland's light rail networks met in Birmingham at the WMCA offices last month to share updates and discuss sector-wide priorities and opportunities ahead of the annual UKTram and LRSSB Light Rail Summit.  

The Light Rail Engineering Group (LREG) provided another valuable forum for technical exchange and collaboration. Chaired by Marilena Papadopoulou of Edinburgh Trams, the session brought together over forty individuals, both online and in person, from across the UK and Ireland. 

To start the meeting, UKTram Managing Director James Hammett outlined recent developments, including the launch of the new Request for Information (RFI) library, designed to support members in sharing best practice and guidance across all areas of light rail operations and engineering. He also highlighted ongoing recruitment within the organisation, reflecting its continued growth and investment in sector-wide knowledge and communications.

Updates from networks included reports from Edinburgh, Blackpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, London, Dublin and West Midlands Metro, covering projects such as rolling stock renewals, OLE improvements, digital transformation and innovations such as obstacle detection systems, de-icing trials and driver simulation technologies.

The meeting concluded with plans for future Best Practice Days, where members will vote on key themes for discussion and shared learning.

On the same day, the Light Rail Operators Committee (LROC) also met in Birmingham, with both meetings setting the stage for the Light Rail Summit.  

Chaired by Steve Mabey, Head of Operational Planning and Delivery at KeolisAmey Metrolink, the session's agreed focus was rostering and examined the results of an operator survey, which revealed that most networks employ teams of three to five roster planners managing an average of 275 drivers.

Software tools such as Omni and RealMaestro were commonly used, though members noted the need for tram-specific solutions and greater automation to reduce manual intervention.

Discussion also centred on fatigue management, with operators sharing approaches to balancing operational efficiency with driver wellbeing. Edinburgh Trams outlined their ongoing trial of wearable fatigue-monitoring devices, while Croydon described the evolution of its Guardian system.

Networks also reflected on the positive trend of increased self-reported fatigue, seen as a sign of growing openness and trust around safety reporting.

The committee explored the challenges of accommodating flexible working requests and maintaining service resilience, with members comparing annual leave policies, shift rotation practices and roster design principles. Union collaboration and clear fatigue guidelines were identified as essential for ensuring fairness, safety and compliance across the sector. 

As a next step, the group will compile a Rostering Best Practice document, explore forming an Omni User Group under UKTram and continue sharing competency frameworks and driver training plans to help standardise approaches.

The next LREG and LROC meetings will take place at the end of November and beginning of December in Manchester and Nottingham.