Delay to updates

Posted on Friday 5 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Please note, with apologies, that for personal reasons there will be a delay to updates for the immediate future. This will include our additional photo series, any new news plus Tram of the Year will not launch as planned on Sunday.

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Man gets Metrocar tattoo

Posted on Sunday 14 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Simon Dowling, aged 38 from High Heaton in Newcastle, has paid his own tribute to the outgoing Metrocars on the Tyne and Wear Metro – by getting a tattoo of one! He has had the train tattooed on his calf and it will now be a forever reminder of the historic fleet ahead of their final withdrawal in 2026.

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UKTram attend UITP Regional & Suburban Railways Division meeting in Newcastle

Posted on Sunday 14 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Railways Division meeting in Newcastle between 6th and 8th October 2025, with insights from political and transport leaders across the world.

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In Pictures: Trams at the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum

Posted on Saturday 13 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Set in a 49 acre site north of Dunfermline, as the name suggests the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum is the home of over 100 buses. But that’s not all there is as there are also trains and of most interest to those reading these words – two trams. David Mee paid a visit in June 2024.

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Metro worker retires after 40 years repairing ticket machines

Posted on Saturday 13 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

A long-serving Tyne and Wear Metro worker is about to retire after 40 years repairing ticket machines across the network. Alex Carr, 60, who manages the Nexus Automatic Fare Collection team. will retire on 1st December after four decades of maintaining the ticket machines and gates lines.

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Light Rail experts honoured with award

Posted on Saturday 13 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Dr Rob Carroll and Richard Briggs from Mott MacDonald have been awarded the Permanent Way Institution’s (PWI) President’s Award for their paper “What is Light Rail?”.

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In Pictures: Luton Airport DART

Posted on Friday 12 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Is it a tram? Probably not! But it is still a modern rapid transit system, and as local authorities look at ways of moving people around their towns it is possibly technology that we may see utilised elsewhere. The Luton DART line opened in March 2023 to link Luton Airport Parkway railway station to the Airport and in this article Ken Jones takes a look at the line.

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UKTram expand technical knowledge through PWI engagement

Posted on Friday 12 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

UKTram have reinforced their commitment to cross-sector learning and technical knowledge, with Phill Terry, UKTram Lead Engineering, attending two specialist events hosted by the Permanent Way Institution (PWI).

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In Pictures: Wrexham trams at Bersham Colliery

Posted on Thursday 11 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Its been a few years since we last featured two surviving Wrexham trams which have been stored at Bersham Colliery for around 20 years. In fact last time we featured them there was talk from Wrexham Museum about options for their future. That was in March 2021 and over the past five and a bit years has anything changed? No, not really!

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Stadium of Light Metro station gets some TLC

Posted on Thursday 11 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Stadium of Light Metro station in Sunderland has become the latest to get a refresh with the faded red and white panels reinvigorated and back to looking their best. With Sunderland AFC calling the Stadium of Light their home this look may not match the corporate identity of the rest of the Metro network but represents the iconic red and white stripes of Sunderland’s home kit.

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LRSSB board strengthen with new appointment

Posted on Thursday 11 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Ian Law, an expert in light rail finance, has become the latest appointee to the board of the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board. He brings with him a wealth of commercial experience and his appointment comes as the LRSSB look to expand the scope of its operations.

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In Pictures: A few shots in Blackpool around North Pier

Posted on Wednesday 10 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

In this article we head to North Pier to see a few images of trams in service on a standard late July day, just a few days before the timetable tweaks were introduced. Steven Hughes is the photographer.

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RIA Light Rail Member Interest Group meet to discuss growing opportunities

Posted on Wednesday 10 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Industry leaders and supply partners who are members of the Railway Industry Association (RIA) Light Rail Member Interest Group recently got together in Birmingham where they discussed the growing opportunities within the UK’s evolving light rail landscape.

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West Monkseaton artwork restored to its former glory

Posted on Wednesday 10 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Another piece of art installed on the Tyne and Wear Metro several years ago has enjoyed a restoration with “Bridge” at West Monkseaton station now restored to its former glory once more.

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In Pictures: Hooton Park and its trams

Posted on Tuesday 9 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Over the past couple of years the number of trams located at Hooton Park has increased with it having become the new home of three horse trams owned by the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society. Those three trams have joined a longer-term resident in the shape of Chester 4, the last surviving electric tram from the small system which once ran in the Cheshire city.

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Network Rail visit Pre-Metro Operations Ltd at Stourbridge

Posted on Tuesday 9 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Whilst a lot of the talk now is about Very Light Rail options as a new and cost-effective way of bringing rail based public transport to areas which don’t necessarily warrant a full heavy or light rail system, it shouldn’t be forgotten that we have had a Very Light Rail line running in the UK since 2009 – the Stourbridge Shuttle. And operator of the line, Pre-Metro Operations Ltd, were recently visited by Network Rail’s Mixed Use Rail (MUR) team for a detailed showcase of the operation, depot facilities, and Pre Metro’s pioneering approach to low-cost branch line rail.

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More poetry at Longbenton Metro station

Posted on Tuesday 9 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

The station at Longbenton on the Tyne and Wear Metro has become the unofficial poetry station in recent years and recently five new and original poems about the Metro have gone on display. All are written by local, professional poets as part of a project between Nexus and the Royal Literary Fund.

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In Pictures: 4001 on display at Stephenson Steam Railway

Posted on Monday 8 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

4001, the first of the Tyne and Wear Metrocars to enter preservation, has now been at its new home of the Stephenson Steam Railway in Wallsend for around two months. The railway held a Railway 200 Gala over the weekend of 25th and 26th October 2025 which gave one of the first chances for many people to see the unit on display as it starts the next stage of its life. Trevor Hall went to pay a visit.

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West Midlands Metro relaunch safety campaign

Posted on Monday 8 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

The West Midlands Metro have become the latest UK tramway to refresh the “TWO LINES = STOP” safety campaign ahead of the opening of the Birmingham Eastside extension as far as Millennium Point.

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Most used Metrolink stops revealed

Posted on Sunday 7 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

New data released under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has shown the most used stops on the Manchester Metrolink network – and its probably no surprise which stops are at the top of the charts!

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West Midlands Metro Penalty fares to increase to £100

Posted on Sunday 7 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Travelling without a ticket on the West Midlands Metro is set to get a lot more expensive from 2026 with confirmation that the penalty fare is increasing to £100 – up from the current £10 and bringing the network in line with other systems across the UK.

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