Article updated 03/06/2025 following resumption of services
Nottingham Express Transit services on the Clifton line have been severely disrupted after a collision between a car and a tram at the Queens Walk/Robin Hood Way junction. Citadis 228 was derailed in the collision with the emergency services stating it would take several days to fix the issue.
We have another edition of “Stop by Stop” as our journey on London Trams’ New Addington line continues.
A return to Manchester for this latest edition of “Then & Now” as we once again look down on St Peter’ Square before and after Metrolink.
With the Royal Highland Show returning once again to Edinburgh between 19th and 22nd June, Edinburgh Trams are putting plans in place to transport people to the event. The Royal Highland Show is Scotland’s biggest celebration of the best of food, farming, and rural life and Ingliston Park and Ride is just a short distance away from the Royal Highland Centre.
Earlier this year West Midlands Metro launched a competition amongst local primary schools to help design a bull for the forthcoming “Bull in the City” art trail (think the Elmer trail in Blackpool last year but will bulls instead of elephants!), and now they have announced the winner although the actual design is remaining under wraps for now.
This week photos come from Beamish in early May 2025:
So far in 2025 its been a relatively quiet year for new adverts on Edinburgh Trams with just eight trams having seen new designs applied. But the end of May 2025 could be the start of that changing with (so far) five trams having received full wraps for Emirates – and if rumours are to believed they may not be alone!
Its that time of the week again where we feature a tram from outside the UK, and East Berlin is once again the location.
Article updated 1/6/25 with photo added.
The longest lived West Midlands Metro advert is no longer the longest lived as 45 has returned to standard fleet livery following the removal of its advertising vinyls for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Alstom and ATM Group (Azienda Trasporti Milanesi) have announced that they are preparing a joint bid for the upcoming operations and maintenance (O&M) contract for Dublin’s Luas tram system. Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) have started a tender process for the contract which has been held by Transdev since the network opened in 2004 and signed their latest contract in 2019 for six years (with an option for a further five).
Ahead of this year’s Solent Sky Tram Event (21st and 22nd June 2025), Southampton 11 is back on is very own truck and track for the first time in over 75 years! The truck was taken away in January but returned to Southampton after restoration during May to allow the reunion to take place.
Have you ever sat on a tram and thought “I could probably run faster than this and get there quicker”? If so a new planned event in Edinburgh on 22nd June could be just up your street – “Race the Tram! 2025”.
We continue our series of “Picture in Time” from Manchester.
11 of the Stadler built Tyne and Wear Metro trains have now carried passengers with 555 007 the latest to enter service – although its initial entry was a brief one with it removed from service after a short period.
Major improvement works on the Manchester Metrolink are set to get underway from Tuesday 3rd June 2025 and last for over two months with the section between Piccadilly Station and Piccadilly Gardens to be closed, leading to changes to the timetabled service.
Steve Edwards, UKTram Chair, has recently joined key industry voices for a light rail roundtable hosted by Rail Forum. This is just the start of a collaborative partnership between the two organisations which will be formally launched in May. The session was an opportunity to support light rail’s unique benefits and potential within the UK’s wider transport strategy.
Wednesday 28th May 2025 should have been an important day for the development of Very Light Rail (VLR) as it was due to have been the first time that the Coventry demonstration line would welcome passengers. Unfortunately, slight delays in getting ready meant that a couple of planned dates have been cancelled (and replaced with additional dates later on in the period – also now sold out) including the first day, although it still saw the vehicle being tested.
The LRSSB led safety campaign “Two Lines = Stop” has now been launched on the West Midlands Metro network. Already seen on tram networks in Blackpool, Edinburgh, Manchester and Sheffield, the West Midlands Metro will be the latest to take advantage of national safety campaign which is designed to raise awareness and help reduce the risk of collisions between pedestrians and trams.
The Light Rail Safety and Standards Board (LRSSB) have recently given their reference library a new fresh look making this vital resource easier to navigate. The Reference Library contains more than 60 guidance documents ranging from the design of crossings to effective fatigue management.
The great West Midlands Metro tram swap has continued with 30 coming back from Dudley with it being replaced by another with the repairs on the Urbos3 trams ongoing at the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre.
