Light rail perspective at Young Rail Professionals West Midlands Politics in Rail debate

UKTram was pleased to see light rail firmly represented at the recent Politics in Rail: West Midlands Question Time event, hosted by Young Rail Professionals (YRP) at WSP’s offices in Birmingham.

The panel discussion brought together senior rail leaders to examine how politics and policy affect investment, delivery, and long-term network development in the West Midlands. 

Sophie Allison, UKTram Board Member and Managing Director of West Midlands Metro, represented the light rail sector alongside senior leaders from heavy rail, engineering and policy. 

Sophie Allison reflected on the discussion: 

“It was a great event with excellent questions from the audience. It was great to take part with such a distinguished panel and encouraging to see such strong engagement from early-career professionals.’’ 

Sophie was recently re-elected on the UKTram Board at the its AGM earlier this year. 

Paul Plummer, Emeritus Professor at the University of Birmingham and UKRRIN Lead, moderated the session, guiding discussion on regional priorities, devolution, cross-industry collaboration and the increasing role of innovation, including Very Light Rail.

The panel also featured Andy Street, Stephen Barber, Andy Clark and Andrew Haines, offering perspectives from across policy, delivery and leadership.  

Audience participation was a central feature of the evening, with attendees asking questions and challenging ideas about career pathways, regional decision-making, and the long-term implications of policy choices for transport networks.

The event is part of YRP’s ongoing programme to support skills development, knowledge sharing, and cross-sector understanding. As regions invest in integrated and sustainable transport, such forums help early-career professionals understand the broader political and strategic context shaping the rail industry.

UKTram welcomes initiatives that bring light rail into broader sector conversations and support collaboration across modes, disciplines and generations.

Further information on upcoming events is available via Young Rail Professionals.