UKTram attends the UK’s largest Rail Exhibition: Rail Live 2025

This year’s Rail Live event at Porterbrook’s Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre brought together more than 7,000 professionals from across the transport sector. UKTram’s Lead Engineer, Phill Terry, was on hand to assess what emerging developments could benefit the light rail community. 

While the event’s engineering and safety seminars primarily focused on mainline rail, Phill used the opportunity to connect with suppliers and evaluate technologies that could support light rail innovation. 

“There were a number of suppliers that were open to exploring applications in light rail,” he explained. “In particular, projects in Sheffield and Manchester were mentioned as areas of interest.” 

Among the highlights, Phill noted that Cemit are in discussion with Nottingham Tram for a remote condition monitoring project, which was previously shared at a Light Rail Engineering Group (LREG) meeting. “It’s great to see past showcasing has potentially materialised into real projects,” he added.

While higher temperatures made the seminar theatres less accessible this year, Phill observed a strong presence from technology providers showcasing solutions. “Welding demonstrations from Goldschmidt and Pandrol, for example, already have applications in light rail and could help speed up future installation works,” he noted.

In addition, the growing role of robotic inspection and drone technology was evident across multiple stands, underlining ongoing industry interest in automation and remote diagnostics. As the light rail sector continues to evolve, UKTram will remain committed to identifying and sharing relevant developments from across the wider rail landscape.