UK and Ireland Tram and Light Rail Round-up: transport funding, new appointments and tramway restoration | 27 February
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In this week's UK and Ireland light rail and tramway round-up: 55+ million Luas journeys recorded in Dublin, Phase 2 of Coventry Very Light Rail begins, Nexus takes delivery of all 46 new Stadler Metro trains and KeolisAmey Metrolink welcomes first T‑Level students. Plus, Transport funding approved for Birmingham Metro extension, South Yorkshire reports strong public response to Supertram changes and Blackpool Transport Services appoints new managing director. Heritage highlights include Douglas Bay Horse Tramway restoration plans and new career opportunity and Seaton Tramway.
Regional transport leaders have approved £50 million to accelerate early development work on a proposed Metro extension serving the new Birmingham City Powerhouse Stadium and the wider Sports Quarter regeneration site in east Birmingham. The funding will support detailed design, surveys and business case development for the tram line.
The allocation will also enable initial work to upgrade Witton and Aston railway stations to support the expansion of Villa Park, alongside further progress on the next stage of Very Light Rail development in Coventry.
Following Full Council approval in January 2026, Colas Rail UK has commenced work on Phase 2 of Coventry’s Very Light Rail programme. The scheme will deliver an 800-metre twin-track connection between Coventry Station and Coventry University Technology Park, extending the city’s CVLR demonstrator network.
Commissioned by Coventry City Council, the project is progressing through a construction-led delivery approach designed to reduce risk and minimise disruption. Surveys have been completed, procurement of the innovative track system is underway, and the scheme is now moving towards construction in a live urban environment.
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. Â
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.
KeolisAmey Metrolink welcomes first T‑Level students >>
KAM recently welcomed its very first T‑Level students from The Manchester College, an exciting milestone in developing future talent and opening up meaningful opportunities for young people across Greater Manchester.
Through the T-Level placement programme, students gain hands‑on experience across the business, getting involved in real projects and learning directly from industry experts. Elizabeth, who is studying Media, Film and Broadcast, has stepped into a placement with the People Experience team. She is already gaining practical experience in internal communications and social media content creation, while building an understanding of how KAM engages, supports and communicates with colleagues across the network.
Feran, who is studying Digital Data Analytics, has joined the People Services & Talent team, where he’s supporting improvements to the accuracy of recruitment data, strengthening Power BI dashboards, and helping turn data into clear, actionable insights. Partnering with The Manchester College reinforces KAM’s commitment to developing early talent and creating clear pathways into the transport sector. It also provides colleagues with the chance to share their knowledge and inspire the next generation of Manchester’s workforce.
More than 55 million passenger journeys were made on Dublin’s Luas network last year, reflecting sustained demand for light rail services across the city. In its latest update, operator Transdev Ireland highlighted its focus on operational performance and service reliability.
Drawing on decades of experience in Dublin, Transdev Ireland pointed to close coordination with other transport operators and ongoing service optimisation as key factors supporting continued growth in usage.
South Yorkshire’s Mayor has confirmed that more than 10,000 dogs have travelled on the Supertram network since the policy allowing dogs on board was introduced just over a year ago. The update reflects wider efforts to make the tram system more accessible and community-focused following its return to public control under the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.
For 2026, adult fares across the Supertram network are being cut or frozen, with a new tram stop at Magna set to reopen. Additional government funding has also been secured to explore future network expansion, alongside increased investment in infrastructure, with more than £15 million committed and a further £110 million planned by 2027.
Following record attendance in 2025, Mainspring has confirmed that the Global Light Rail Awards will take place at a new, larger venue in 2026. The event will be held at Battersea Arts Centre on 7 October 2026, continuing its role as the only awards programme dedicated exclusively to light rail worldwide.
First Tram Operations has been announced as Headline Sponsor, with support from UKTram and the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board. Category sponsors will be confirmed in March when entries open, with a limited number of sponsorship, table and entry opportunities available.
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Lea Harrison has been appointed as the new managing director of Blackpool Transport Services.
Lea joins the business following 10 years as managing director for Edinburgh Trams, where he successfully oversaw a variety of projects, including an extension to the Edinburgh tramway network and a ‘Tap on, Tap off’ contactless ticketing system across both buses and trams.
Lea brings a wealth of operational experience to Blackpool Transport, having originally started his career as one of the first tram drivers for Manchester Metrolink in 1991. From Manchester, he became head of service delivery at Tramlink Nottingham, successfully introducing two extensions to the network in August 2016, after which he then moved on to become the managing director for Edinburgh Trams.
All 46 new Tyne and Wear Metro trains have been successfully delivered to the region, marking another major milestone for the £362m project as it moves a step closer towards completion. Â
We took delivery of the final new Metro train in the early hours of Saturday 21st February, when it arrived safely at the depot in Gosforth. Â
Swiss train manufacturer Stadler has now supplied its order to build 46 new Metro trains for us.Â
The new trains are helping to transform customer experience, since they began entering service at the end of 2024. Nexus remains on course to have the full timetable operated by the new fleet by the Summer. When a new train arrives from Stadler, it needs to go through rigorous testing before it can enter customer service.
Earlier this month, KeolisAmey Docklands proudly hosted its first Data Science Conference, bringing together data and performance specialists from across the rail and transport sector. With contributions from colleagues across KeolisAmey Docklands, Keolis Group and GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway), the event reinforced a shared belief that data is a strategic enabler for safer, more reliable and customer‑focused transport networks.
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The day showcased how data, analytics and emerging AI capabilities are already transforming day‑to‑day rail operations from safety and engineering insights to live performance reporting and smarter decision‑making. Just as importantly, it sparked open conversations around data governance, security, and the foundations needed to unlock long‑term value.
Transport for London has confirmed that while Tube and rail fares will increase from 1 March 2026, all bus and tram fares will remain frozen until 5 July 2026. The decision has been positioned as an emergency cost-of-living measure aimed at supporting lower-income passengers across the capital.
The fare freeze means that tram users in London will not see any change to their ticket prices during this period, despite wider adjustments to Tube and TfL rail services in line with the Government Spending Review settlement. The move forms part of TfL’s approach to maintaining affordability across its surface transport network.
HERITAGE:
Work to restore the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway could begin within the next year, according to the Isle of Man’s Infrastructure Minister. Tim Crookall MHK told the House of Keys that the project’s business case is currently under review.
If approved by Tynwald, works could commence within 12 months and are expected to take around 40 weeks to complete, supporting the long-term future of the historic tramway. Work to restore the Douglas Bay Horse Tramway could begin within the next year, the Infrastructure Minister has told the House of Keys this week. Tim Crookall MHK said the business case for the project is currently under review and, if approved by Tynwald, work could commence within 12 months and is expected to take approximately 40 weeks.
Seaton Tramway is seeking a part-time Office Assistant to join its team at Riverside Depot in Seaton. The role involves supporting depot operations through administration, customer service and finance-related duties, with strong communication skills considered essential. Experience in money handling or accounting is desirable.
UKTram
UKTram has developed a Light Rail and Tramway Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) training course, designed to support confident and competent working for staff involved in tramway OLE maintenance and related activities.Â
Delivered in partnership with an NSAR-accredited training provider, the course combines theoretical learning with practical, hands-on training, giving delegates a clear understanding of UK light rail OLE systems and the requirements for working safely around them.Â
As part of its Meet the UKTram Group Chairs series, UKTram caught up with Marilena Papadopoulou, Chair of the Light Rail Engineering Group ahead of the groups latest meeting.
In the Q&A, Marilena shares her experience working on renewals at Edinburgh Trams, the value of sharing lessons across networks and why engineers need space to collaborate and learn from each other.
The latest UKTram Light Rail Engineers Group (LREG) meeting and Best Practice Day on took place on 12th and 13th February 2026. Held at Network Rail offices and hosted by Transport for Wales in Cardiff, the two-day programme brought together sector engineers and supply chain representatives, both in person and online, to share updates and explore learning across light rail systems.
The meeting marked the first LREG event to be held in Cardiff since Transport for Wales became members of UKTram. Attendance was strong, with 28 delegates attending in person and 13 joining online. Participation in the Best Practice Day was evenly split between engineering and supply chain members, supporting wide-ranging discussion across the topics presented.Â
The next round-up will be published on Friday, 6th March, 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