Taking place on 13th and 14th May at the NEC Birmingham, UK Rail 2026 is a major industry gathering bringing together leaders from across rail projects, operators, suppliers and innovators. UKTram is a strategic partner of the event and will be playing a part with sessions on important subjects to be led by the organisation.
On 13th May, Nicola Small – UKTram board member and Programme Director for Very Light Rail at Transport for West Midlands – will be presenting a session titled “How very light rail can transform urban mobility and connect communities to the wider network”. This will explore how very light rail solutions can expand connectivity, support accessible travel and strengthen links between local and national networks.
Then on 14th May, UKTram Stakeholder and Innovation Manager, Tim Bilby, will present “Customer Excellence: Lessons from the UK’s light rail network”. This session will explore how operational approaches from light rail can support reliability, simplicity and improved customer experience, while offering insight for the wider rail sector.
There will also be a session led by the UKTram Rising Stars Group where Chelsea Branch (UKTram Digital Marketing and Communications Manager) and Dan Hill (UKTram Knowledge Manager) will lead a workshop called “Routes into Rail and Light Rail”, exploring different pathways into the sector. They will combine personal insight with a collaborative group exercise to map career routes and encourage more inclusive entry points into the industry.