UK and Ireland Tram and Light Rail Round-up: Cardiff Crossrail, contactless ticketing and sector-wide improvements | 20 March
- 1 hour ago
- 8 min read
The latest from the Voice of Light Rail across the UK and Ireland
In this week's UK and Ireland tram and light rail round-up: Cardiff Crossrail Phase 1 contract awarded to GRAHAM, NET raises more than £17,000 for local causes across the city, Glasgow Subway introduces contactless pay-as-you-go ticketing and a temporary West Midlands Metro timetable ahead of new line launch. Plus, KeolisAmey Metrolink showcases VR safety campaign at Parliament, Blackpool Transport set for busy Easter weekend and improved Cutty Sark station reopening. Heritage highlights this week include: the National Tramway Museum starting its 2026 operating season and tram-driving lessons at Seaton Tramway.
GRAHAM has been awarded the contract to design and build the first phase of the Cardiff Crossrail project. The initial phase will deliver a new tramway connecting Cardiff Central Station with Cardiff Bay, forming a key part of plans to transform the city’s transport network.
Backed by £100 million in funding from the UK and Welsh Governments, the scheme will include new tram infrastructure, additional platforms and public realm improvements. The project is expected to enhance connectivity, support regeneration and lay the foundations for a wider cross-city tram network.
Glasgow Subway has introduced contactless pay-as-you-go payments at ticket gates, allowing customers to travel using debit or credit cards and mobile wallets. The new system enables passengers to tap in and out, with automatic daily and weekly fare capping applied.
Delivered by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, the upgrade represents the most significant change to ticketing since the introduction of smartcards in 2013. The move aims to provide a more convenient and flexible payment option while maintaining existing ticketing choices for accessibility.
KeolisAmey Metrolink presented its “No Excuse for Abuse” Virtual Reality campaign at a Women in Rail Parliamentary Reception held at the House of Commons. The initiative forms part of ongoing efforts to address Violence Against Women and Girls and support frontline staff across the transport network.
Delivered alongside British Transport Police, the immersive demonstration highlighted how technology can be used to raise awareness of harassment and promote safer environments. The VR experience was well received, with strong interest from across the sector in expanding its use to support wider engagement and training initiatives.
Nottingham Express Transit (NET) has revealed it raised over £17,000 for local charities in 2025, reflecting its commitment to supporting the Nottinghamshire community and making a difference to those in need across the county.
Our Dementia Choir was NET's 2025 charity of the year, which saw the network's group-wide initiatives focused on fundraising for the cause. A highlight was the Three Peaks Challenge, which brought together NET staff from across the organisation to form a team, climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales and raising over £2,000 to support the choir and its members.
Ahead of the launch of new services to Albert Street and Millennium Point in Birmingham, West Midlands Metro has introduced a temporary tram timetable on the existing tram network to enable driver training on the new route.
Trams departing from Wolverhampton St George’s now terminate at Bull Street, whilst trams from Wolverhampton Station and Pipers Row are running as normal and serve all stops to Edgbaston. The change will enable drivers to familiarise themselves with the soon-to-open section of the Birmingham Eastside extension.
With the first bank holiday weekend of 2026 fast approaching, the operator has announced details of our its Easter tram and bus services.
Stepping up services compared to previous years, trams will also run to their usual timetable throughout the holiday weekend, while buses will operate to a
a full Saturday timetable on Good Friday (April 3), helping residents and visitors get the weekend off to a flying start.
Supertram unveils major upgrade of its advertising estate featuring new, bright eco-friendly posters >>
Supertram and Global, the Media & Entertainment group, have completed a major upgrade of the tram network’s 6-sheet advertising estate. A new generation of high-quality, energy-efficient LED-lit posters have been installed across the network, which serves some of the city’s busiest locations, including Sheffield Station, Meadowhall Interchange and the University of Sheffield.
The new advertising units feature brighter displays, reduced energy use and a more contemporary look and feel, improving the experience for millions of passengers and providing stand-out opportunities for creative marketing campaigns. In addition, brands can now take over tram stops with eye-catching wrapped shelter formats, offering significant visibility at high-footfall locations.
Edinburgh Trams welcomed the Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland (RNIB Scotland) to its depot last week to speak to colleagues and run a practical workshop aimed at improving understanding of the experiences faced by blind and partially sighted people when using public transport.
A group of on-tram staff, members of the Customer Relations and Revenue Protection teams, and other business support staff took part, with plans to roll out the training to other employees over the coming months.
Dan, Daryl, Billy, and Jimmy from RNIB Scotland spoke to the group about their lived experience with sight loss, with the aim of increasing awareness of how to recognise when people may need assistance, and how to approach and help them successfully use the trams.
Londoners and visitors will soon be able to enjoy quicker and easier journeys to and from Greenwich town centre following the completion of major escalator upgrade works at Cutty Sark station.
Due to be delivered earlier than expected, the work means the DLR station will reopen on Monday, March 23. This is well in advance of this year's London Marathon, which is a particularly busy time for both the station and the surrounding area, and the Easter holidays. Four state-of-the-art, heavy-duty escalators have been installed, significantly boosting reliability and improving the station's ability to handle high customer volumes, helping futureproof it for many years to come.
One of the Tyne and Wear Metro’s longest serving drivers has retired after 40 years in the role.
Brian Bulmer, 67, of Hebburn in South Tyneside, has bid an emotional farewell to his colleagues, a job he has ‘absolutely loved’, and to his many thousands of customers.
Brian started driving Metros in 1986 and described the train cab as the ‘best office in the world’. He even met his wife through work. He is part of a unique and declining group of drivers who were there in the early 1980s, when the Metro system was new.
The operator of Dublin’s light rail system is seeking dedicated individuals passionate about keeping the city moving and providing high-quality public transport for Luas customers.
Transdev Dublin Light Rail Ltd, Operator and Maintainer of Luas, is recruiting for a range of roles with competitive salaries and benefits. Most of these roles are permanent and full-time.
The BBC reports that data from Transport for London (TfL) suggests tram users in south London are facing repeated delays caused by vehicles blocking the tracks. Figures released to the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed that cars, vans and even emergency vehicles have obstructed the Tramlink route almost every month since November 2019.
The issue is particularly acute in central Croydon, where trams pass through narrow streets and have little room to manoeuvre.
A leading figure in light rail safety has been appointed Chair of a new body responsible for agreeing on formal sector-wide standards.
Colin Kerr, former Head of Safety and Projects at Edinburgh Trams and now Technical Engineer and non-executive director at the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board, will head a committee that’s set to play a crucial role in helping the UK become a world-leader in tramway design and operation.
Drawing on expertise from across the sector, the Light Rail Standards Committee will review existing standards documentation, covering everything from infrastructure design to employee wellbeing policy, and will set priorities for future guidance – particularly important with the emergence of new technologies such as AI.
Heritage Highlights
Last weekend, the National Tramway Museum at Crich reopened for another season, with a more action-packed day than planned for anyone who took the time to visit.
British Trams Online reports that the day may have started with a standard three-tram service, but a tram failure led to a fourth passenger tram and a Works Car out. With sunny weather, the first three trams allocated for service in 2026 included two open toppers. The chosen three were Newcastle 102, London County Council 106 and Leeds 345.
Tram driving lessons at Seaton Tramway >>
Seaton Tramway is offering the chance to become a tram driver for the day with one of its driving experience courses.
The courses are very ‘hands-on’, giving participants the chance to enjoy maximum time at the controls and drive in the same conditions as the tramway’s own staff drivers.
The course also includes a guided tour of the Tramway's HQ at Riverside Depot, offering the chance to see behind the scenes. After your course, anyone taking part also receives a commemorative certificate and souvenir to remind them of a great day out.
UKTram updates
UKTram’s Operations Manager, Steve Duckering, joined international industry colleagues at the UITP Light Rail Committee Workstream on Operations and Safety, held in Vienna on 25 February 2026.
Hosted by Wiener Linien, the meeting brought together operators and stakeholders to review key priorities and share insights on operational performance and emerging challenges across light rail networks.
Representatives from across the European light rail sector gathered in Tenerife on the 11th and 12th March for the European Light Rail Congress 2026, hosted by Metrotenerife and organised by Mainspring. The annual congress brought together key people from across the sector for another successful year, to exchange updates and developments, with attendees hearing 23 presentations across the two-day programme alongside a technical tour of the Metrotenerife system.
Business Manager Lorraine George and Stakeholder and Innovation Manager Tim Bilby represented UKTram, with Tim delivering his well-received presentation “Light Rail Innovation and UKTram.” Tim’s session outlined recent UK developments and invited European colleagues to collaborate on new initiatives.
UKTram has announced that the final places remain for its Light Rail and Tramway Overhead Line Equipment training course delivered in partnership with the NSAR-accredited Skill Step Group. The three-day course will take place in Crewe and will combine classroom learning with practical sessions focused on light-rail OLE systems.
The programme covers system fundamentals, maintenance activities, and safe working practices to support engineers and technical teams across the sector. The first course is being offered at a reduced cost as part of UKTram’s commitment to skills development and knowledge sharing.
If you are a UKTram Member, and you'd like 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