In this week’s news from the light rail sector – Ticket machines now operational on West Midlands Metro, NET closes its travel centre, tram track replacement in Manchester, Edinburgh Trams highlights city events, and consultation on banning vapes on Tyne & Wear Metro. UKTram
Managing ‘grey assets’ - those without clearly defined ownership - was the focus of a recent best practice day organised by UKTram. Engineers discussed real-world challenges, such as traction substations and tramway-highway interfaces, that can lead to maintenance delays and unexpected costs.
Held alongside the first Light Rail Engineering Group (LREG) meeting of 2025, the session highlighted the importance of clear documentation and proactive asset management. Read the full story here.
West Midlands Metro
West Midlands Metro has embarked upon a new chapter this week with the launch of a new way to pay for travel on the expanding tram network.
Passengers are now able to purchase tickets from newly installed machines at stops across the tram network before boarding the tram.
This advancement aligns with Metro’s commitment to providing a smooth and customer-friendly travel experience, and you can find out more here.
NET
Nottingham Express Transit (NET) will be officially closing the doors to its King Street travel centre on Tuesday 25 March, in line with the changing habits of its customers, with the money set to be reinvested into policing the network.
Allowing NET to provide a more digitally focused service, the upcoming closure follows feedback from NET customers about the way they now choose to buy their travel passes and tickets, with many customers stating they mainly used the travel centre for the Robin Hood card top-up machine – a service that can be done at ticket vending machines found at every tram stop.
The staff currently working at the travel centre will be based at the NET depot on Wilkinson Street, and you can read the full story here.
Manchester Metrolink
Work to replace tram tracks in part of Manchester city centre gets under way next week as this year’s programme of Metrolink improvements continues.
Track replacement is part of a planned £147m package to maintain, upgrade and improve the Metrolink network up to 2027.
The work, at York Street, is scheduled to take place from Saturday, March 1 until Sunday, March 16. It means no trams will run from St Peter’s Square to Market Street or Piccadilly Gardens while it is carried out, and more details can be found here.
Edinburgh Trams
With spring fast approaching and the days getting longer, Edinburgh offers an endless range of shows and activities, prompting the city’s tram operator to publish its own ‘What’s on Guide’ for March.
With many of the venues within easy walking distance of tram stops, it’s easy to get to and from many of the shows and sports events taking place in the city next month, and you can read more here.
Tyne & Wear Metro
The network operator is proposing to ban the use of all vapes and electronic cigarettes on Metro services and Metro stations, in the same way that cigarettes already are.
In order for it to create a new Metro Byelaw to prohibit vaping, and as required by the Department for Transport, a 28-day consultation period is underway.
If the proposal is approved, it will allow us to prosecute those caught vaping on Metro trains and on Metro stations. Anyone caught will face a fine of up to £1,000, and more details can be found here.
Heritage
There will be a change of transport special events for 2025 at Beamish, with the traditional Steam Fair replaced by a nine-day Festival of Transport, British Trams Online reports.
This new event will take place at the end of May and start of June across the Spring Bank Holiday and school half-term holidays with lots of different themes at various points during that period.
Transport wise, Beamish has always been so much more than the trams, and whilst there is nothing particularly special planned for the trams during these events, they will be running a service around the museum circuit – clockwise only on all days.
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