In Pictures: Reindeers return to Edinburgh!

Posted on Wednesday 17 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Christmas is coming – and some of the trams in Edinburgh have grown antlers! This isn’t the first time that in the lead up to Christmas that the trams in the Scottish capital have seen antlers stuck on them but it marks a return following their absence in more recent times. As well as the vinyl antlers some trams have also received reindeer names.

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UKTram Owners and Authorities Group outlines priorities for the next year

Posted on Wednesday 17 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

One of a number of groups and committees which seek to bring systems from across the UK together to share best practice and allow improvements, the UKTram Owners and Authorities Group met in mid-October to outline their priorities for the next year.

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New business opens at West Jesmond Metro station

Posted on Wednesday 17 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

A vacant shop unit at West Jesmond Metro station has now been filled with Awesome Frank’s opening, providing a vibrant family-friendly deli serving mouthwatering artisan sandwiches, deli goods and branded flour.

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Lots of Metro fleet changes!

Posted on Tuesday 16 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

It has been a very busy few weeks of change on the Tyne and Wear Metro network with old trains going for scrap whilst new trains have entered service with more being delivered from Switzerland. In this article we have a catch-up of what has been happening in the past few weeks since our last update.

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Urban Tram Forum meet in Amsterdam

Posted on Tuesday 16 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

The 2025 Urban Tram Forum (UTF) annual meeting took place in Amsterdam between 22nd and 24th October where members heard updates on current safety and operational topics from across the world.

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LRSSB name new Chair for Heads of Safety Group

Posted on Tuesday 16 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

The Light Rail Safety and Standards Board (LRSSB) have named Don McClurg as the new Chair of the Heads of Safety group. Don is the Head of Safety and Standards at Edinburgh Trams and replaces Andy Wallace, who has stepped down from the role following his move from Tram Operations Limited.

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In Pictures: Metrolink 3003 receives advert for BRIT Awards

Posted on Monday 15 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

There has been another new advert applied to a tram in Manchester with 3003 receiving its first ever full wrap at the end of the first full week of December 2025. This is another dark based advert and sees the tram advertising the 2025 BRIT Awards.

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LRSSB appoint to new standards role

Posted on Monday 15 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

The Light Rail Safety and Standards Board (LRSSB) have appointed Matthew Wright as Standards Manager. Matthew has been at the organisation for 18 months supporting a host of projects as a research coordinator and will now move into this newly created role.

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Old and New – Blackpool: Pharos Street

Posted on Monday 15 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

We’re back on the Blackpool Tramway for this edition of “Old and New” where we see a heritage tram and a modern tram at the same place. In this edition we take a look at Pharos Street in Fleetwood.

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Out and About: South Yorkshire Supertram – October 2025

Posted on Sunday 14 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Its time for another “Out and About” and Sheffield is where we visit in this article.

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New Coventry Very Light Rail demonstrator line to be approved

Posted on Sunday 14 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

Coventry City Council are to approve the construction of another Very Light Rail demonstration line, with a new 800-metre twin track line to be built as part of the Coventry’s ambition to create a new type of transport that has the potential to revolutionise the way people ca travel around medium-sized cities.

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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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Around the World in Trams: Bratislava 7110

Posted on Saturday 13 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

“Around the World in Trams” continues with another trip to Bratislava.

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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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Picture in Time: Midland Metro 03

Posted on Friday 12 December 2025 by Gareth Prior

In this edition of “Picture in Time” we take our look at some of the original Midland Metro T69s in action on the line between Birmingham Snow Hill and Wolverhampton St George’s.

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