UK and Ireland Tram and Light Rail Round-up: Safety upgrades and sector leadership | 20 February 2026
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In this week's UK and Ireland tram and light rail round-up: West Midlands Metro names Midlands Air Ambulance as Charity of the Year, Sheffield Supertram driver marks 30 years of service and Blackpool Transport freezes popular tram and bus tickets for third year running. Plus, Prime Minister and Welsh First Minister visit Transport for Wales depot, Heritage Tramway Committee highlights safety, skills and guidance priorities and Mainspring European Light Rail Congress 2026 programme confirmed.
West Midlands Metro has announced Midlands Air Ambulance Charity as its Charity of the Year for 2026, launching a year-long programme of fundraising and awareness activity across the network.
The partnership continues Metro’s colleague-led approach to charitable support, with teams planning a range of activities throughout the year to help fund the charity’s life-saving helicopter and critical care operations, which receive no government funding.
Operating 24/7 across six counties, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity responds to an average of 10 missions a day. The first fundraising activity, a network-wide raffle, will mark the start of the partnership and a year of support for one of the region’s most vital emergency services.
A new mural at Netherthorpe tram stop is helping transform the underpass into a brighter, more welcoming space for passengers, as part of ongoing improvements to Supertram infrastructure.
The mural was created by local artist Rob Lee and the artwork introduces bold colours and patterns to areas that were previously unpainted. The latest installation builds on the first phase of the community mural project, which received strong public support, with feedback showing increased perceptions of safety and wellbeing. The project highlights how creative placemaking can enhance tram stops, improve passenger experience and support safer, more attractive public transport environments.
Keir Starmer and Eluned Morgan visited Transport for Wales’s Taff’s Well depot this week, highlighting joint UK and Welsh Government support for the future of rail across Wales and the Borders.
During the visit, the Prime Minister endorsed TfW’s long-term vision for the network, Today, Tomorrow, Together, emphasising the importance of delivering rail improvements “side by side” with the Welsh Government. The depot visit showcased progress already made on new trains, infrastructure and skills, as well as the next phase of investment planned for the network.
Dublin’s Luas light rail network has recorded more than 55 million passenger journeys over the past year, underlining its role as a core part of the city’s public transport system. The figure reflects sustained demand for light rail services supporting daily travel across work, education, healthcare and leisure.
Operator, Transdev Ireland, attributes continued growth to consistent service reliability, performance and a comprehensive understanding of local travel patterns. Ongoing collaboration with other transport providers has also supported network integration, enabling passengers to move more easily between modes as part of wider multimodal journeys.
A tram driver has been recognised for an exceptional milestone after reaching 30 years of service, reflecting decades of dedication to keeping passengers moving safely and reliably.
Avril was presented with a long-service certificate by duty managers Russ and David, celebrating her continued commitment and contribution to the team over three decades. Moments like this highlight the experience, professionalism and long-term careers that sit at the heart of the light rail sector.
KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) launches wellbeing hub to support colleagues >>
KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) has strengthened its commitment to colleague wellbeing with the launch of a refreshed wellbeing hub on Traxx, the organisation’s online wellbeing portal. The new hub is fully bespoke and has been designed and built in‑house by KAM’s People Experience team to reflect the needs of colleagues across the network.
Centred around four themes: Healthy Mind, Healthy Body, Healthy Work and Healthy Life, the portal brings together all wellbeing support in one clear, easy‑to‑navigate space. Colleagues can access everything from virtual GP and physiotherapy services to counselling, financial guidance, discounted gyms, colleague networks and support for long‑term health conditions. As part of the refresh, the portal's layout and navigation have been streamlined to make support easier to find. The results have been immediate: in its first week, the updated hub saw 691 views, representing a 2,059% rise in engagement compared with the previous week.
Passengers travelling into Manchester are being encouraged to use trams and other alternative travel options during a nine-day partial closure of Manchester Piccadilly, as major rail upgrades take place during the February half-term.
With Piccadilly services limited and a packed Saturday of events at the Etihad Campus on 21st February, including football, live music and national sporting competitions, Metrolink trams on the Ashton line are being highlighted as a reliable option, offering direct services from Deansgate-Castlefield and St Peter’s Square. Rail ticket acceptance will also be in place on selected tram and bus services.
Nexus has upgraded its customer reporting system on the Tyne and Wear Metro, switching from SMS to a free-to-use WhatsApp service to make reporting issues quicker and more accessible.
The new WhatsApp number allows customers to report anti-social behaviour, safety concerns or incidents discreetly, without incurring network charges, and enables images or video footage to be shared directly with Metro’s control room.
SMS reporting remains available for customers who do not use WhatsApp, alongside reporting via the Pop App, station Help Points and on-board call buttons.
The change forms part of Nexus’s wider commitment to passenger safety, complementing ongoing investment in CCTV, security and close working with local police to respond swiftly to issues across the network.
Blackpool Transport has confirmed that the price of its most popular tram and bus tickets will remain frozen for a third consecutive year, as part of a wider review of its fare structure.
While modest increases will apply to some fares from the 1st March, the adult day ticket will remain unchanged, alongside the continuation of value-focused options for families, young people and regular travellers. A simplified fare structure will also be introduced to make it easier for customers to choose the best ticket across bus, tram or combined journeys.
Mainspring has released the full programme for ELRC26, taking place on 11th to 12th March 2026 in Tenerife. The two-day congress will bring together senior leaders, operators and technical specialists to examine sustainability, operational efficiency and asset management across European light rail networks.
Sessions will also address digitalisation, network resilience and international case studies, supported by structured networking opportunities. The event is being hosted in Tenerife, home to the Metrotenerife light rail system, providing delegates with insight into the host city’s operational approach and infrastructure.
Heritage highlights New book offers rare first-hand insight into historic tram operations >>
As reported by British Trams Online, a new book by tram enthusiast and former Leeds student conductor Chris Thornburn has now been published, offering a rare first-person account of tram operations in the mid-1950s.
On Top o’ t’ Job focuses on the day-to-day realities of working on the trams, from training and working patterns to the close relationship between drivers and conductors. First-hand operational accounts from tramway staff are uncommon, making this a valuable addition to the sector’s heritage record. The 206-page book is illustrated with 130 photographs from the author’s own collection.
Volk’s Electric Railway has confirmed that the historic seaside line is scheduled to officially reopen for the 2026 season on Saturday 28th March, although services may resume slightly earlier due to the return of experienced seasonal staff. A special three-train service will also operate on Saturday, 3rd May, supporting the Historic Commercial Vehicle Association’s London to Brighton Run.
Seaton Tramway has confirmed it is now open, with trams operating a Yellow Service throughout the February half-term period (14th–22nd February), followed by weekend services until the end of March.
Under the Yellow Service, trams run between 10am and 4pm. A Blue Service will return during peak periods in April, extending operating hours from 10am to 5pm. Visitors can book in advance via the Seaton Tramway website or simply turn up on the day. The tramway is also promoting combined visits with Jurassic Discovery, offering families the chance to make a full day of their trip to the Axe Valley attraction.
UKTram and LRSSB updates
Light Rail Safety and Standards Board has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Marlene Pearson-McGrath as Head of Learning and Competence. Marlene joins the LRSSB from Edinburgh Trams, where she previously worked as Training Manager.
With more than 20 years’ experience in learning and development, she has also played a key role over the past year in developing the sector-wide Skills Hub through a part-time secondment to the organisation. In the new role, Marlene will lead the continued development of the Skills Hub, supporting competency standardisation, certification tracking and access to training across the light rail sector, while also strengthening learning capability within the LRSSB and its stakeholder community.
UKTram will host an online afternoon session on 31st March for the Light Rail Engineering Group (LREG) with presentation slots available to UKTram supply trade members. The event will focus on engineering insight, lessons learned, innovation, new approaches, products, services and best practice across the supply chain.
The session will run from 12:00 - 16:00 and open with a Best Practice topic from UKTram’s Lead Engineer, Phill Terry, helping to frame the discussion and set the context for the afternoon.
The UKTram Heritage Tramway Committee met in January 2026 to review progress across a number of priority workstreams supporting the safe and sustainable operation of heritage tramways.
The meeting, held online on Tuesday, 27thJanuary 2026, confirmed continued strong engagement from across the UK’s heritage tramway sector, with regular attendance from operators, the Isle of Man tramways and representation from ORR/HMRI.
The next round-up will be published on Friday, 27th February, 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