Senior leaders from across the tram and light rail sector have recently met at the latest UKTram Executive Group where they discussed the latest insight, reviewed progress and explored collaborative responses to challenges and opportunities.
During the meeting there was a key focus on patronage recovery, with encouraging reports from networks including Luas, Manchester and West Midlands Metro – all of whom reported passenger numbers exceeding expectations.
There will also discussion on ticketing innovation and energy efficiency, with updates from Nottingham and Edinburgh. Nottingham’s ongoing use of Eco-Drive continues to support operational efficiency, while Edinburgh Trams shared early results on energy savings and the rollout of their Tap-on, Tap-off contactless payment system.
Members also looked at shared challenges, such as the impact of road traffic collisions and trap and drag incidents, both of which affect tram availability and service resilience. Best practice was discussed and agreed to explore the creation of a mini working group to address incident reduction and to support passenger education, with more input from LRSSB to be sought.
James Hammett, Managing Director of UKTram, said: “The Executive Group continues to show the strength of shared leadership across the light rail sector. It’s encouraging to see networks not only aligning around common goals, but also learning from one another’s successes and working collaboratively to overcome shared challenges.”