Light Rail Operators Committee meets in Nottingham to share operational insights

On Thursday 4th December, the Light Rail Operators Committee (LROC) convened at the Nottingham Express Transit (NET) Depot, bringing together operators from across the UK and Ireland to reflect on operational performance, shared challenges and best practice. 

Delegates began the day with a tour of NET’s Overspeed Monitoring system, followed by a visit to the Control Room, where attendees gained insight into live operational management and safety oversight across Nottingham’s 32km tram network.  

The formal session was chaired by LROC Vice Chair and Luas Control Room & Operations Manager, Graham Fitzgerald and opened with a presentation from Mainspring. Operators were given an overview of the Rail Intel platform and its growing role in supporting benchmarking and long-term planning across light rail networks.

Discussions throughout the day reflected the shared priorities facing operators. Passenger demand and performance trends were reviewed, alongside the operational impact of infrastructure disruption. Workforce development featured strongly, with updates on apprenticeship initiatives, evolving driver training programmes and the role of learning platforms in building long-term capability across organisations.

Members also shared progress on Control Room developments and safety systems, with discussion turning to timetable planning and the practical realities of introducing new technologies to strengthen monitoring and operational assurance. Recognition schemes and staff engagement initiatives were also highlighted as playing an important role in sustaining morale and performance during periods of change. 

Vice Chair, Graham Fitzgerald reflected: 

“I was delighted to chair the UKTram Light Rail Operators Committee meeting on behalf of Transdev Ireland. As always, there was great attendance from light rail operators across the UK and Ireland. Nottingham was once again a fantastic host.’’ 

The final LROC meeting of 2025 reinforced the value of LROC as a collaborative forum, enabling operators to learn from each other and continue raising standards across the light rail sector.