UK and Ireland Tram and Light Rail Round-up | Innovation and the future of mass transit | Friday 19th June 2026
- 21 hours ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
In this week's UK and Ireland tram and light rail round-up: NET to carry out lift refurbishment at Nottingham Station tram stop, Fleetwood shuttle service introduced following tram disruption,
Keolis outlines vision for Luas and Edinburgh Trams gears up for Royal Highland Show. Plus, Bee Network seeks new members for accessibility advisory group, Supertram completes track renewal works at Gleadless Townend and Regent Centre Interchange set for £7.9m transformation.
Nottingham Express Transit (NET) will carry out planned maintenance and refurbishment work on the Station Street lifts serving Nottingham Station tram stop from the 22nd of June to the 14th of August. The project will see a number of original components replaced after more than 20 years of service.
While the lifts are closed, passengers will still be able to access the tram stop using alternative lifts located within Nottingham Railway Station and the station car park. Tram services will continue to operate as normal throughout the works, which form part of NET's ongoing investment in maintaining accessible and reliable infrastructure across the network.
Wyre Council has partnered with Blackpool Transport to introduce a temporary shuttle bus service in Fleetwood, helping residents and visitors continue to access the town centre and market while tram services on Lord Street remain disrupted following a recent fire.
Operating free of charge from Fisherman's Walk to Fleetwood Market on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, the service has been introduced in response to concerns from local businesses and market traders affected by the suspension of tram services. Both organisations moved quickly to establish the route, with Blackpool Transport also promoting the temporary arrangements through its customer communications channels.
Edinburgh Trams is preparing for one of Scotland's biggest annual events as the Royal Highland Show returns to the Royal Highland Centre from the 18th until the 21st June.
The operator will run trams every seven minutes throughout the four-day event, providing direct access to the show via Ingliston Park & Ride tram stop, just a short walk from the venue. Visitors are encouraged to use the network's Family Day Tripper ticket or Tap On, Tap Off contactless ticketing to make travelling to and from the event as easy as possible.
Keolis has set out its ambitions for the future of Luas, highlighting how international experience and local expertise will shape the next chapter of Dublin's tram network when it takes over operations later this year.
In an article published by Eolas, the global transport operator explained how lessons learned from tram and metro systems across Europe, North America, Australia and Asia could help enhance the passenger experience in Dublin. While emphasising its experience operating systems, including Manchester Metrolink and tramways in Bordeaux and Australia's Gold Coast, Keolis stressed that the future of Luas would remain distinctly Dublin in character. The company said its aim is not to replicate another city's model, but to support existing teams with new ideas, shared learning and a long-term focus on customer experience as it prepares to operate the network from September 2026.
Transport for Greater Manchester is inviting disabled people and those living with long-term health conditions to apply to join its Disability Design Reference Group (DDRG), which helps shape the Bee Network's accessibility.
Managed by Breakthrough UK, the group has influenced major projects, including Stockport Interchange, Tyldesley Travel Hub, and accessibility improvements across Metrolink, ticketing, and passenger information. Applications for the paid roles are open until the 5th of July, with members using their lived experience to help ensure public transport across Greater Manchester is accessible to all.
Supertram has completed a programme of track renewal works at Gleadless Townend as part of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority's ongoing investment in the network. The improvements were carried out during the May half-term, with teams working together to replace and upgrade sections of track to help improve safety, reliability and ride quality.
Passengers have now returned to normal service, with the upgraded infrastructure expected to support smoother journeys and strengthen the tramway's long-term resilience.
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) has appointed Jamie Ross as its new Chief Executive. He joins from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, where he has served as Director of Transport, overseeing a £1 billion investment programme that includes bus franchising and the development of an integrated public transport network.
Ross brings more than 30 years of experience across the transport sector and will take up the role in September. He succeeds Valerie Davidson, who is retiring after 26 years with SPT, including the last five as Chief Executive. The appointment comes at a pivotal time for public transport in the west of Scotland as SPT continues its work to deliver a more integrated, accessible and sustainable transport network for the region.
A major refurbishment of Regent Centre Interchange in Newcastle will begin at the end of June, with Nexus unveiling new images showing how the busy transport hub will look following a £7.94 million upgrade programme.
Delivered by contractor Kier, the project will modernise the Metro station concourse and platforms, creating a brighter and more accessible environment with improved signage, upgraded facilities and new retail space. The works also include the removal of the station's ageing canopy and an overhaul of electrical systems to improve resilience and reliability. Most of the major improvements are expected to be completed by September 2026, with the wider programme continuing into summer 2027 as Nexus continues its investment in modernising the Tyne and Wear Metro network.
Plans to introduce a mass transit system to Bristol and the wider West of England have taken a significant step forward following the launch of a new Government-backed Mass Transit Taskforce. According to reports by Bristol Live, the initiative will help regions exploring rapid transit schemes draw on international expertise and identify ways to deliver projects more quickly and efficiently.
West of England Metro Mayor Helen Godwin has placed mass transit at the heart of the region's transport vision, with options including trams, light rail and other high-capacity public transport systems under consideration. If delivered, the scheme would end more than 80 years without a mass transit network in Bristol, currently the largest city in the UK without one.
Heritage highlights
Beamish, The Living Museum of the North, has celebrated the news that Chief Executive Rhiannon Hiles has been appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the King's Birthday Honours for services to museums and to the culture and heritage of North East England.
Hiles, who first joined Beamish as a volunteer in 1995 and became Chief Executive in 2021, has overseen significant growth for the museum, including the completion of the landmark Remaking Beamish project. The recognition comes as Beamish continues to go from strength to strength, having welcomed more than 815,000 visitors last year and recently been named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2025.
The National Tramway Museum has highlighted the 130th anniversary of the opening of the Snaefell Mountain Tramway, Britain's first and only electric mountain railway. Public services on the Isle of Man line began on the 21st August 1895, connecting the Manx Electric Railway at Laxey with the summit of Snaefell, the island's highest peak.
Built in just seven months, the 4.66-mile route remains a remarkable feat of Victorian engineering, featuring steep gradients and its distinctive Fell rail braking system. The National Tramway Museum's collection includes historic artefacts linked to the line, including components from the unique braking equipment used on the original tramcars, helping preserve the story of one of the British Isles' most iconic tramways.
Visitors to Heaton Park Tramway's recent open day at Queen's Road Depot were given a rare opportunity to explore a hidden chapter of Manchester's transport history.
Built in 1901, the depot's original office once housed Manchester Corporation Tramways' traffic department and a dedicated driving school, where thousands of tram drivers learned their trade. Among its most unusual features was a full-size wooden "skeleton" tramcar constructed inside the building itself, complete with controllers and operating equipment to provide realistic training. Although the last trams left Queen's Road in 1938, surviving features such as these continue to tell the story of one of the city's most important tramway sites.
Visitors to Brighton's historic Volk's Electric Railway will have the opportunity to enjoy an evening ride along the seafront this Saturday, 20 June, as volunteers once again take over operations for one of the railway's popular late running events.
Organised by the Volk's Electric Railway Association, the special evenings extend services until around 8 pm, with proceeds helping to fund projects that support the railway's preservation and future development. The events also offer passengers the chance to meet the volunteers who help keep the world's oldest operating electric railway running and learn more about its remarkable history.
UKTram updates
UKTram is proud to support Better Transport Week 2026, joining organisations across the sector to highlight the essential role of sustainable transport in connecting people and places. Organised by Campaign for Better Transport, the week-long campaign runs from today until the 21st of June, highlighting the social, economic, and environmental benefits of safe, accessible, affordable, reliable, integrated and green transport.
As a Corporate Champion of Campaign for Better Transport, UKTram supports this year’s theme of celebrating how improved transport connects people and places.
As Better Transport Week shines a spotlight on the importance of cleaner, greener and better-connected communities, UKTram is reflecting on discussions held earlier this month at the launch of Campaign for Better Transport's latest report, Track Record: What Great British Railways Can Learn from British Rail, at the House of Commons.
The event, which took place on the 3rd of June, was hosted by Ben Plowden, Chair of Campaign for Better Transport and introduced by Ruth Cadbury MP, Chair of the Transport Committee and explored how lessons from Britain's railway history can help shape the future of Great British Railways (GBR) and wider transport networks.
As part of Better Transport Week 2026, UKTram attended Women in Transport's From Intent to Impact – Advancing Equity for Women Across Transport event in Leeds. Attending on behalf of UKTram were the Marketing and Communications Manager, Chelsea Branch and the West Midlands Metro Managing Director and UKTram Board Member, Sophie Allison.
UKTram has continued to support the development of the Cardiff Crossrail project by contributing light rail expertise to the scheme's ongoing hazard review process.
The project, being delivered by Transport for Wales in partnership with Cardiff Council, will create a new tramway connection between Cardiff Central railway station and Cardiff Bay, forming an important part of wider plans for the South Wales Metro.
UKTram representatives attended this year’s Rail Live event at Porterbrook’s Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre, joining thousands of delegates from across the rail and transport industry to explore the latest developments shaping the future of transport.
UKTram Managing Director James Hammett has been confirmed as a speaker at this year's Public Transport Asset Management UK Conference, taking place on 23rd June at the Park Plaza London Riverbank.
The next round-up will be published on Friday, 26th June. If you are a UKTram Member and you'd like to be included in the round-up shared on the website, socials and our exclusive Members' hub, please send your press releases, event updates and career opportunities to chelsea.branch@uktram.co.uk