The latest meeting of UKTram’s Light Rail Engineers Group (LREG) took place in Edinburgh over 21st and 22nd May 2026 where updates were shared, operational challenges were discussed and best practice was exchanged between members.
The two day event commenced with a tour of Edinburgh Trams’ Gogar Depot which saw the tram simulator demonstrated to those attending in person. This was followed by the LREG meeting where operational challenges relating to reliability and component supply were discussed.
UKTram also gave an update on current work across the organisation, and there was a discussion of the recent review of the overhead line equipment (OLE) course. With feedback on the course positive, plans are now in hand to deliver another session during August.
The meeting saw a review of the recent Supply Trade Exchange event, “Trade and Trams”, with once again saw positive feedback from attendees across the sector. There were also new products and suppliers showcased, including a compact pocket defibrillator from St John Ambulance and an automated track gauge system from Abtus.
The second day was handed over to Best Practice with a focus on lifts and escalators. This included a presentation from Ben Brooks, Head of Engineering at Nexus Tyne and Wear Metro, exploring approaches to lift and escalator procurement, maintenance, reliability and renewal programmes across the network.
Phill Terry, Lead Engineer at UKTram, said: “It was another positive and well-attended LREG meeting, both in person and online, and great to see a few new faces joining the discussions as well. The Best Practice Day session generated some great conversation and exchange of ideas following Ben Brooks’ presentation from Nexus.
“We run these sessions as they continue to highlight the value of sharing experiences and learning from different approaches to the sector. A big thank you as well to Edinburgh Trams for hosting the event and for their hospitality across the two days.”