The UKTram’s Light Rail Engineering Group (LREG) and Light Rail Operators Committee (LROC) both took the opportunity of attendance at September’s Light Rail Summit to have meetings in Birmingham to share updates and discuss sector-wide priorities.
The LREG – chaired by Marilena Papadopoulou of Edinburgh Trams – saw over 40 individuals come together for technical exchange and collaboration. The meeting was started by UKTram Managing Director, James Hammett, who outlined recent developments, including the launch of the new Request for Information (RFI) library, designed to support members in sharing best practice and guidance across all areas of light rail operations and engineering. He also highlighted ongoing recruitment within the organisation, reflecting its continued growth and investment in sector-wide knowledge and communications.
There were also updates from networks including reports from Edinburgh, Blackpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, London, Dublin and West Midlands Metro. This covered projects such as rolling stock renewals, OLE improvements, digital transformation and innovations such as obstacle detection systems, de-icing trials and driver simulation technologies.
Their meeting concluded with plans for future Best Practice Days, where members will vote on key themes for discussion and shared learning.
At the same time the LROC were also meeting with Steve Mabey, Head of Operational Planning and Delivery at KeolisAmey Metrolink, in the chair. The agreed focus this time was rostering which examined the results of an operator survey. This revealed that most networks employ teams of three to five roster planners managing an average of 275 drivers.
Software tools like Omni and RealMaestro were commonly used, though members noted the need for tram specific solutions and greater automation to reduce manual intervention.
There was also discussion on fatigue management, as operators shared approaches to balancing operational efficiency with driver wellbeing. Edinburgh Trams outlined their ongoing trial of wearable fatigue-monitoring devices, while Croydon described the evolution of its Guardian system. There were also reports on the positive tend of increased self-reported fatigue, seen as a sign of growing openness and trust around safety reporting.
The challenges of accommodating flexible working requests and maintaining service resilience were also explored, with members comparing annual leave policies, shift rotation practices and roster design principles. Union collaboration and clear fatigue guidelines were identified as essential for ensuring fairness, safety and compliance across the sector.
The group will now compile a Rostering Best Practice document, explore forming an Omni User Group under UKTram and continue to share competency frameworks and driver training plans to help standardise approaches.
The two groups will meet again before Christmas for more discussions.