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UK and Ireland Tram and Light Rail Round-up: Safety initiatives, Easter works and network improvements | 28 March

  • 15 hours ago
  • 6 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 roundup: Police patrols on West Midlands Metro and Tyne and Wear Metro, Edinburgh Trams promotes LRSSB safety campaign, Manchester Metrolink urges customers to plan ahead during engineering works, news station set to open in South Yorkshire, LRSSB forges closer links with BSI, Glasgow Subway set to extend opening hours, plus essential engineering works taking place on the Luas Red line. Heritage highlights include Easter fun at the National Tramway Museum and Seaton Tramway to host a comedy photography competition.

 

Poilceman on board the West Midlands metro

Police patrols are being stepped up across West Midlands Metro as part of ongoing plans to further strengthen safety and security across the tram network. Alongside the deployment of both uniformed and plain clothes officers, passengers can also play their part in the initiative by reporting any suspicious activity or incidents they witness.

 

Anthony Stanley, Metro’s Head of Operations and Safety, explained that the increased police presence is already helping prevent incidents and enabling faster responses when concerns are raised.

 

Two Lines = Stop Light Rail Safety and Standards Board campaign for Tramway safety

Safety is always a top priority at Edinburgh Trams, and it encourages passengers, pedestrians and drivers to exercise caution on and around the tramline.

 

To remind those travelling near the tramline, it’s promoting the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board’s ‘Two Lines = STOP’ safety campaign, prompting pedestrians to pay more attention when travelling near the tramway and be mindful of their surroundings and stop before crossing a tram track. 

 

Manchester Metrolink Tram outside media city

Passengers are being urged to plan their journeys as work to make Greater Manchester’s tram network more reliable, resilient and safe for years to come gets underway over the Easter weekend.

 

As part of a continuing £150m investment in the network, more than 1km of track will be replaced on the Altrincham line. Work will also take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield, to prepare for full track replacement later in the year. 


As a result, there will be no trams on the Altrincham, Eccles and Trafford Park lines all day from Friday 3rd to Monday 6th April.


Magna Tram train Station in Sheffield

South Yorkshire will mark a major milestone next month with the opening of the new Magna Tram Train station, the first additional stop on the network since its launch in 2018. 

 

Opening to passengers on Thursday, 9 April, the station will provide a modern and accessible gateway to the Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham, one of the region’s most popular family attractions. It will also strengthen public transport links between Rotherham and Sheffield, offering quicker and more convenient connections for residents, visitors and workers. 

 

Located near Templeborough and Tinsley, the new stop will improve access to two of South Yorkshire’s busiest employment corridors and support wider regeneration ambitions for the Don Valley Corridor. 


Glasgow subway

Opening hours on the Glasgow Subway will be increased on Fridays and weekends once the line's modernisation is complete, the BBC has reported.

 

Under the new schedule, trains will be available from 06:30 to 23:30 on Sundays. They will also run for an extra hour on Fridays and Saturdays, closing at 00:30.

 

From Monday to Thursday, it will continue to run from 06:30 to 23:30. The new operating hours are expected to start sometime in 2027. The move was approved last week by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), which runs the Subway.

 

A special policing operation with officers in plain clothes has taken place on the Tyne and Wear Metro.

A special policing operation with officers in plain clothes has taken place on the Tyne and Wear Metro. The ‘Trojan Horse’ Metro op involved undercover police deployed on the system to catch crime and anti-social behaviour in action. 


This was the first time the scheme had been rolled out on Metro and followed a similar format to Northumbria Police’s ‘Trojan’ bus initiative - a decoy bus where the customers on board are actually police officers. 


KeolisAmey Metrolink has been awarded Membership status in the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter, marking a significant milestone in the network’s ongoing commitment to delivering high employment standards and fostering an environment where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to thrive.


The recognition reflects the culture demonstrated by colleagues across the business each day, a culture that prioritises wellbeing and inclusion, invests in development opportunities, and promotes a strong sense of belonging for everyone. 

 


Essential engineering works will take place on the Luas Red Line tracks near your home/business over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. The works will take place on Saturday 4, Sunday 5 and Bank Holiday Monday 6 Apri

Essential engineering works will take place on the Luas Red Line tracks over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. The works will take place on Saturday 4th, Sunday 5th and Bank Holiday Monday 6th April.

 

To facilitate the works, there will be no Luas service between Red Cow and Tallaght / Saggart from the last tram on Friday, 3rd April until first tram on Tuesday, 7th April.


These essential rail works involve replacing track at Belgard Stop and the Luas crossing over Belgard Road and will involve breaking concrete in certain areas and repairing rail. The workers, vehicles and machinery will generate noise at times, and so the work is being carried out over three consecutive days.

  

London Trams Sign with a blue sky

 Customers travelling over Easter are being advised to plan ahead, with scheduled closures and reduced service on some parts of the Transport for London (TfL) network between the 3rd and 10th of April.

 

These changes will allow essential maintenance work to be completed, ensuring the continued safety and reliability of the network and include no service from Bank and Tower Gateway to Poplar and West India Quay on the DLR. On the tram, from 23:00 on Friday, 3rd April until the start of service Sunday 5 April, there will be no tram service from Wimbledon to Therapia Lane and a replacement bus service will run from Wimbledon to Waddon Marsh. Customers are recommended to check before they travel using TfL's Journey Planner or the TfL Go app. 

 

The light rail sector’s safety body has strengthened ties with the British Standards Institute (BSI). Through closer collaboration and active participation in the BSI’s Railway Applications Committees and various working groups, the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board aims to boost sector engagement.

 

Matthew Wright, Standards Manager at the LRSSB, explained that the partnership with the BSI is increasing the sector’s presence and influence in the development of future standards that may affect light rail.


Embedded track renewal

Sika® and VolkerRail have delivered a world first on one of London’s busiest tram routes following the launch of a pioneering track maintenance solution developed by Sika®. The South London tram renewal project in Croydon was the first site in the world to use an innovative machine to apply Sika’s Icosit® KC 350/45 polymer rail grout, moving embedded track renewal away from traditional hand installation.

 

By applying Sika’s high-performance Icosit® grout using a controlled machine application method, VolkerRail secured a speedy return to operation and significantly reduced material losses, thanks to the product’s faster curing time and improved placement accuracy.

  

Heritage Highlights

 Seaton Tramway is hosting the internationally acclaimed Comedy Wildlife Photography Exhibition featuring side-splitting, heart-warming and thought-provoking images from around the world.

 

Founded in 2015 by wildlife photographer Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards celebrate the lighter side of the animal kingdom while raising awareness of conservation issues. From clumsy lions to mischievous monkeys, this exhibition shows the humour, character and humanity of wildlife in a way that connects us all.

 

But there’s more to these funny shots than just comedy. The awards use the language of laughter to engage people with the need for wildlife conservation.

 

The museum is inviting visitors to ‘Eggsplore’ its ‘eggciting’ Easter Trail with our book egg characters and win an Easter-themed prize.

 

Other fun seasonal activities at Crich include egg rolling, Easter show, face painting and the opportunity to make your own Easter chicken or bunny hat. Visitors should also keep an eye out for wandering storybook characters and, of course, Mr Bunny himself. Children can even dress up as their favourite storybook character.

 

UKTram updates

Image Credit: Railway Industry Association
Image Credit: Railway Industry Association

UKTram joined industry partners in Sheffield for a collaborative event hosted by the Railway Industry Association (RIA), in partnership with Hitachi Rail and the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN), exploring light rail opportunities across South Yorkshire and beyond. 


Voices from across the rail sector came together, including operators, suppliers, researchers and regional stakeholders, to examine how innovation and collaboration can support the future development of light rail systems. 


The next round-up will be published on Friday, 3rd April. If you are a UKTram Member, and you'd like to be included in the round-up shared on the website, socials and on our exclusive Members' hub, please send your press releases, event updates and career opportunities to chelsea.branch@uktram.co.uk

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