UK and Ireland Light Rail Round-up | Tram-Train Expansion, Track Renewals and Rail Safety | Friday 23rd January 2026
- UKTram
- 3 days ago
- 7 min read
In this week’s UK and Ireland light rail news round-up: Keolis Nottingham to attend Nottingham Jobs Fair with tram roles available, Luas confirms St Brigid’s Day Bank Holiday service arrangements and Salford transport plans aim to improve tram integration and interchange in Manchester. Plus, Tyne and Wear Metro line major renewal work, Colas Rail UK secures Light Rail contract awards as part Midland Metro Alliance, Edinburgh Trams highlights another record-breaking year and Northern Powerhouse Rail agreement supports Sheffield tram-train expansion.
Keolis Nottingham will attend the Nottingham Jobs Fair at the Motorpoint Arena on Friday 30th January 2025, running from 10am to 1pm. The event will give attendees the opportunity to speak directly with the team about careers on the Nottingham tram network.
Keolis Nottingham is currently recruiting for Tram Drivers and Infrastructure Cleaners, with representatives on hand to discuss roles and the application process.
Luas has confirmed its operating arrangements for the St Brigid’s Day Bank Holiday weekend. Services will run as normal on Saturday 31st January and Sunday 1st February 2026 across both the Green and Red Lines.
On Bank Holiday Monday 2nd February 2026, Luas services will operate to Sunday timetables, with trams beginning at 7.00am on both lines. Customers are advised to check operating hours in advance when planning journeys over the holiday period.
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority has confirmed that Northern Powerhouse Rail will support further development of Sheffield’s tram-train network following the signing of the Northern Powerhouse Rail compact in Sheffield. The agreement sets out how South Yorkshire will benefit from its share of the £45 billion Northern Powerhouse Rail investment, with Sheffield central to the first phase of delivery.
Alongside rail electrification, station capacity upgrades and improved cross-Pennine links, the plans include support for the expansion of the Sheffield tram-train system and progress towards a new Rotherham station. The commitment provides greater certainty for advancing tram-train infrastructure as part of wider regional transport investment, linking heavy rail and light rail more closely across South Yorkshire.
Transport for Greater Manchester and Salford City Council have unveiled new proposals to improve journeys along the Salford Crescent to MediaCityUK corridor, with a focus on better integration between buses, trams and rail. The plans form part of the Bee Network programme and are intended to make public transport journeys quicker, safer and more reliable while supporting sustainable travel across the city.
While centred on bus route improvements, the proposals include measures designed to strengthen interchange with the Metrolink tram network, particularly around MediaCityUK. Subject to community engagement and statutory approvals, works could begin in 2027, with upgrades expected to support smoother connections between trams, buses and trains and improve access to key tram-served destinations in Salford.
A busy section of the Tyne and Wear Metro line serving North Tyneside and Newcastle has undergone essential renewal work. The project took place during a five-day line closure between Shiremoor and St James, in both directions, from Monday 16th February to Friday 20th February.
The affected route will re-open to Metro services on Saturday, 21st February. On the yellow line, Metro services will run from Shiremoor towards South Shields via South Gosforth, calling at all stations on the route. The green line will be unaffected by the closure. A replacement bus service has been running during the works, calling at or close to all affected Metro stations. The work is part of its Asset Renewal Programme, which involves modernising key items of Metro infrastructure, including tracks and overhead lines.
A charity fundraiser from the North East is taking on the epic challenge of running the full length of the Tyne and Wear Metro system in a single day. Paul McDougal is doing the 73.5-mile ultramarathon to raise money for the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (Nacoa), a UK charity which supports children whose parents are suffering from alcohol addiction. It’s a cause close to his heart as his late mother, Sarah, battled alcohol addiction when he was growing up.Â
Paul, 35, of Cramlington in Northumberland, will attempt to conquer Metro’s full route length in 24 hours. He will track the Metro lines as closely as possible, taking in the fastest routes between all 60 stations via public roads and footpaths. The run, which takes place on the weekend of 7-8 February, will see Paul covering the length of Metro’s Yellow and Green lines.
Colas Rail UK is proud to announce the award of further major infrastructure schemes through its longstanding position as Principal Contractor on the Midland Metro Alliance (MMA).
These awards secure a robust pipeline of high-quality work on the West Midlands Metro’s growing network through to 2028 and reinforce the MMA’s reputation for safe, timely and budget-conscious delivery. As well as the trust of its client West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to efficiently deliver complex light rail projects.
Thanks to a packed calendar of events and the integration of a new payment solution, Edinburgh Trams continued to grow, taking locals and visitors alike across the city and beyond for another year of success. In 2025, the tram operator saw growth of 3.3% up on 2024, recording 12.5 million customer journeys in total.Â
With the successful launch of ‘Tap on, Tap off’ (TOTO), which went live in May 2025 and reached one million customer journeys in just five months, the demand and importance of an integrated transport system across Edinburgh were highlighted. The millionth journey coincided with the launch of Apple Pay Express Mode, which makes using TOTO even more convenient for Apple Pay users.
MetroLink is pleased to announce that its new eSourcing Portal is now live, marking a significant step forward in simplifying and enhancing the procurement process for suppliers. The platform will serve as the central hub for accessing and responding to Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQs) and Invitations to Tender (ITTs) for all direct procurement with MetroLink.
Suppliers are required to register on the MetroLink eSourcing Portal to participate in upcoming procurement opportunities. The registration process is quick and straightforward, taking approximately 10 minutes to complete. We strongly encourage providers to complete registration as soon as possible to ensure they are ready for forthcoming opportunities.
Since renewing its partnership with Rail Safe Friendly in June, Supertram has continued to deliver vital rail safety education to young people across the network, and this is just the progress so far. In the past seven months, they've worked with 8 local schools, achieving Bronze and Silver accreditations, and reached 5,032 young people with engaging, age-appropriate safety messages.
As the UK’s first light rail operator to join the initiative, Supertram is proud to see the programme continuing to grow and make a real impact in communities.
Heritage
Office of Rail and Road and Rail Accident Investigation Branch have confirmed a new programme of safety workshops for the 2025/26 year, delivered in partnership with the Heritage Railway Association. The sessions reflect the regulators’ recognition of the heritage rail sector as the most diverse part of the UK rail industry and their commitment to active engagement with heritage railways and tramways.
The complimentary workshops will take place at heritage railways across England and Wales between January and March 2026 and are open to standard gauge, narrow gauge, 15-inch gauge and other ORR-regulated railways and tramways, including funicular operators. Places are limited, with each event designed to support open discussion, feedback and networking around safety practice and regulatory expectations.
As reported by Beamish Transport Online, extensive tramway engineering and fleet work is underway at Beamish as part of a major winter programme. Key activity includes continued overhaul work on the Samson steam locomotive, preparations to return Lisbon tram 730 to service, and ongoing assembly and commissioning work on Gateshead tram 10.
Alongside vehicle restoration, significant investment is being made in tramway infrastructure, with works covering sleeper renewal between the Town and Pockerley, rail welding on the Town outer curves and ongoing overhead line equipment renewal.
UKTram
UKTram’s Owners and Authorities Group (OAG) held its first meeting of the year on Wednesday, 13th January. The meeting was chaired by group Chair Chris Hopkinson and Vice Chair Stuart Lowrie and representatives from across the sector met online to align priorities and progress workstreams.Â
Mainspring opened with a presentation showcasing the Rail Intel Portal and the breadth of material it contains to support evidence-based decision-making across the sector. This was followed by an update from the Urban Transport Group (UTG), outlining the proposed scope for a forthcoming Light Rail Policy document. UTG and UKTram confirmed their intention to collaborate closely on the development of the document as it progresses.Â
The UK rail industry will come together at UK Rail on the 13th and 14th of May 2026, when the sector-wide event returns to NEC Birmingham. The two-day event will provide a national platform to bring together leaders from across rail projects, operators, rolling stock manufacturers, suppliers and innovators.
As a strategic partner, UKTram is supporting the event’s focus on collaboration, shared learning and insight across the rail industry. This year offers another multi-track conference programme and a large-scale exhibition; UK Rail aims to reflect the breadth of activity across the UK rail value chain.Â
The next round-up will be published on Friday, 30th January, to be included in the round-up or the Members News section of the UKTram website. Please send your press releases, event updates and career opportunities to chelsea.branch@uktram.co.uk