As we have reported a fair bit on these pages, South Wales is set to get its first modern on-street tramway within the next couple of years with phase one of Cardiff Crossrail due to be completed by 2028. As part of the project to build a connection between Cardiff Central and Cardiff Bay, Transport for Wales have been completing a hazard review and UKTram have been providing support by providing light rail expertise.
Cardiff Crossrail will have both railway and tramway elements – a fleet of tram-trains are currently being tested ahead of introduction on the railway before the on-street element opens – and UKTram are ensuring that operational and safety considerations specific to light rail and tram-train systems are reflected within any discussions.
Phill Terry, Lead Engineer at UKTram, said: “Projects such as Cardiff Crossrail present an opportunity to bring together rail and light rail. While the scheme incorporates infrastructure and operational principles from both sectors, it is important that the distinct characteristics of light rail are fully understood throughout the development process.
“We’ve been pleased to support Transport for Wales by sharing knowledge and lessons learned from across the light rail sector, including insights from previous tram-train schemes.”
UKTram has been providing information and guidance drawn from across their member network to allow the project to consider how best to balance the requirements of both heavy rail and light rail operations. This is helping the project teams to better understand the practical realities of tramway and tram-train operation.