UKTram joined with industry partners for a collaborative event hosted by the Railway Industry Association (RIA) in Sheffield which explored light rail opportunities across South Yorkshire and beyond. The event was held in partnership with Hitachi Rail and the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN) with the focus on how innovation and collaboration can support future development of light rail systems.
The event saw a series of presentations which provided insight into emerging technologies, research activity and regional ambitions. These highlighted the growing role of light rail in delivering more sustainable and connected transport networks.
James Hammett, UKTram Managing Director, said: “It’s always great to see events like this bringing the sector together to share ideas and challenge thinking. If we want to deliver light rail more effectively, it really comes down to collaboration across industry, but also across research and policy, making sure solutions are scalable and right for local needs.”
James contributed to a panel discussion which also saw Nicola Small (Transport for West Midlands), Carl Williams (Chief Executive, LRSSB), Andrew Dugdale (SYSTRA), Mark Smalley (Business Development Director, Rail Transport Systems) and Martin Little (UKRRIN) debate technology partnerships, improving stakeholder engagement and designing systems for operational value, reflecting key challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
The discussion highlighted the importance of aligning innovation with real-world delivery, ensuring that new technologies and approaches are developed with operational outcomes in mind.