UK and Ireland Tram and Light Rail Round-up: developing skills and shaping future networks | 13 February 2026
- 1 hour ago
- 7 min read
In the UK and Ireland light rail round-up this week: Dublin Luas marks Valentine’s Day with Leap Card giveaway for customers, TravelSafe LiveChat milestone strengthens safety across Greater Manchester’s tram and transport network and South Wales tram-trains enter final testing phase ahead of spring introduction. Plus, West of England unveils new Transport Vision with mass transit ambition, Edinburgh Trams boosts services for Six Nations fixtures at Murrayfield and Heaton Park Tramway highlights early electric tram heritage.
Luas is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a customer competition offering five pairs of €20 topped-up TFI Leap Cards. The giveaway encourages customers to take part via Luas's social media channels by tagging someone special, with entries open across X, Facebook, and Instagram until Sunday, 15th February.
Winners will be selected at random and contacted directly on Monday, 16th February, with prizes issued by post. The initiative adds a seasonal engagement touchpoint while continuing to promote the use of Leap Cards for everyday travel across Dublin’s light rail network.
Transport for Greater Manchester has marked a milestone after its TravelSafe LiveChat service reached 500 reports since launch, reinforcing safety across the Bee Network, including Metrolink tram services. The discreet reporting tool connects passengers directly to trained Greater Manchester Police call-handlers, enabling rapid responses to antisocial behaviour, safety concerns and criminal activity without drawing attention.
TfGM says the milestone reflects strong partnership working with police, with LiveChat reports leading to swift interventions and enforcement on the network. The service forms part of the Bee Network’s wider approach to building passenger confidence and delivering safe, reliable public transport across Greater Manchester.
West Midlands Metro is supporting Birmingham Light Festival 2026 with discounted tram travel during the February half-term. As a festival sponsor, Metro is offering up to 15% off selected Zone 1–4 and Zone 1 day tickets, helping families and visitors travel sustainably as they explore the illuminated installations across the city.
The festival runs until the 15th February, with city centre locations including Bullring, Victoria Square, St Paul’s Churchyard, Brindleyplace and Edgbaston Village, all lit up each evening. Metro says the event highlights the role of tram travel in efficiently connecting major destinationsand providing convenient access to cultural and leisure attractions along the route.
Nottingham Trams has named a tram in honour of Our Dementia Choir charity, marking the conclusion of the charity’s year as the operator’s Charity of the Year for 2025.
The naming recognises a year-long partnership that saw staff raise more than £4,600 through a series of fundraising challenges, alongside wider engagement activities focused on improving understanding of dementia and how best to support passengers living with it.
Beyond fundraising, the partnership helped build awareness and practical insight across the organisation, with Nottingham Trams highlighting the lasting impact of learning directly from choir members and supporters. The named tram will now carry the charity’s legacy across the network as a visible reminder of the collaboration.
Edinburgh Trams will run additional services for the upcoming Guinness Men’s Six Nations fixtures at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, supporting thousands of rugby fans travelling to matches against England on 14th February and France on 7th March. Trams will operate at increased frequency before and after each game, with services running from every three minutes to manage peak demand.
The operator is encouraging customers to use contactless Tap On, Tap Off to ensure they are charged the correct city zone fare and to help speed up boarding. Fans travelling from outside the city can also use the Ingliston Park & Ride, which offers 1,000 free parking spaces with direct tram connections to the stadium.
A charity fundraiser has completed an extraordinary endurance challenge after running the full length of the Tyne and Wear Metro network in under 24 hours. Paul McDougal, originally from the North East and now living overseas, covered 73.5 miles along the Metro’s yellow and green lines, finishing at St James station in Newcastle in 18 hours and 30 minutes.
The challenge raised more than £11,000 for the National Association for Children of Alcoholics, a cause close to Paul’s heart. Nexus praised the achievement as a remarkable physical and mental effort, highlighting the powerful role that Metro continues to play not only as a transport network, but as a backdrop for community-led initiatives and charitable fundraising across the region.
New Class 398 tram-trains are now in the final phase of testing ahead of their introduction on the Core Valley Lines this spring, marking a major milestone for the South Wales Metro. The fleet forms part of the Welsh Government’s wider rolling stock investment programme and will operate on the Merthyr, Aberdare and Treherbert lines, providing direct connections to Cardiff and Cardiff Bay.
The tram-trains, which will be based at the new Taff’s Well depot, are designed to deliver metro-style improvements including higher service frequencies, level boarding, modern interiors and enhanced accessibility for bikes and wheelchairs. Led by Transport for Wales, the programme is set to transform everyday journeys across the Valleys, supporting more reliable, accessible and high-capacity rail services as the South Wales Metro continues to take shape.
The West of England Combined Authority has set out a new long-term Transport Vision, with political leaders committing to begin building a mass transit system within four or five years. Concept imagery released alongside the report illustrates potential mass transit serving key corridors, including Redcliffe Way and Bristol Airport, which remains the only regional airport in the country without a fixed mass transit link. The ambition forms part of a wider strategy linking buses, rail, active travel and improved streets to support economic growth and reduce congestion, which cost Bath and Bristol over £150 million last year alone.
Backed by £752 million of secured funding, the programme aims to integrate better buses, new train stations and mass transit plans into a cohesive network. A Transport Strategy is now being developed to define the infrastructure required to deliver the vision, with leaders emphasising the importance of coordinated planning and long-term investment to give the region a transport system it can trust.
Heritage
A recent heritage feature shared by Heaton Park Tramway has shone a spotlight on one of the oldest surviving electric trams in the British Isles. Built in 1885 for the pioneering Bessbrook and Newry Tramway in Northern Ireland, the 3ft-gauge vehicle showcases early electric traction powered by hydro-electricity, with strong historic links to Manchester through its construction and electrical equipment.
Now preserved at the Ulster Transport Museum, the tram’s story highlights the long-standing innovation that underpins today’s light rail systems, offering a timely reminder of how early engineering experimentation helped shape modern tramway and metro networks.
Seaton Tramway has announced two new additions to its 2026 events programme, combining evening leisure travel with a major family-focused summer attraction. In February, the heritage line will host a Valentine’s Twilight Tram and Meal, offering a scenic evening return journey between Seaton and Colyton, a three-course dinner at Colyton Station, and a complimentary glass of prosecco on arrival.
Looking ahead to the summer, Seaton Tramway will also launch Moomin Summer Adventure from 3rd until the 9th August, featuring themed tram journeys, storytelling, performances and family activities inspired by the Moomins, with daily services running throughout the week.
UKTram and LRSSB LRSSB and Metrolink deploy VR technology in schools to tackle abuse of tram staff >>
The Light Rail Safety and Standards Board and KeolisAmey Metrolink have partnered on an innovative virtual reality initiative to reduce verbal and physical assaults against tramway employees in Greater Manchester. The £60,000 project uses VR headsets in local schools to let students experience simulated incidents from the perspectives of victims and bystanders, helping build empathy and awareness of the consequences of anti-social behaviour.
More than 600 young people have already taken part through the Bee Network’s TravelSafe Partnership Education and Engagement Programme. Early feedback indicates a strong impact, with participants reporting improved understanding of how abuse affects transport staff and greater awareness of the legal consequences of such behaviour.
UKTram has published a new blog for National Apprenticeship Week, setting out seven practical routes into careers across the light rail sector. The piece highlights the essential role of apprenticeships in building skills, supporting workforce renewal, and creating long-term career pathways within tram and light rail operations.
The blog outlines opportunities offered by light rail operators, infrastructure providers and maintainers, covering technical, operational and business-facing roles. UKTram encourages those interested in the sector to explore operator careers pages and national apprenticeship portals, positioning apprenticeships as a direct and accessible entry point into a growing industry.
National Apprenticeship Week: Building skills and careers across light rail >>
National Apprenticeship Week has seen light rail operators and UKTram members spotlight the growing range of apprenticeship pathways supporting skills development across the sector. Success stories and opportunities have ranged from engineering and infrastructure to project management, data, customer operations and professional services. Apprenticeships continue to offer practical routes into long-term transport careers.
We have marked the week with a dedicated blog round-up featuring apprentice stories and live opportunities from UKTram members and partners, including TfGM, KeolisAmey Metrolink, KeolisAmey Docklands, West Midlands Metro, Transport for Wales and Transport for London.
The next news round-up will be published on Friday, 19th February. If you are a UKTram Member and would like to be included in the round-up and the Member news section of the UKTram website, please let us know. Please send your press releases, event updates and career opportunities to chelsea.branch@uktram.co.uk