A highly experienced light rail professional has been elected as the new chair of an influential sector working group.
Steve Mabey, of Manchester Metrolink, follows in the footsteps of his father Mike, who retired in October, as chair of the UKTram Operations Group. Having been with Metrolink for 10 years, Steve has spent the last four as Head of Network Operations.
“I’m delighted to have been elected to chair an extremely important group focused on the challenges of Light Rail Operations and attended by operators from around the UK,” he said.
“I would like to thank those in the industry who voted for me, and I am committed to ensuring this group continues to work collaboratively to support the return of customers following the COVID pandemic.”
Steve outlined what he saw as the group’s potential needs and how he would identify and communicate elements to be included in coming workstreams.
“I’m really excited to get started on delivering the group’s objectives, with some key projects such as dealing with the impact of extreme weather and degraded operations. I look forward to working with the team at UKTram and with operators across the industry to move these initiatives forward,” he added.
The group’s December meeting also focused on the industry’s highly successful Hazard Perception tool. Group members were encouraged to put forward scenarios that could be developed into graphics to enhance the next version.
Participants included a representative from the heritage sector to help members understand how the tool could be used in competence maintenance for the sector.
The meeting also heard reports of rising passenger numbers but there were concerns too about high levels of staff absence due to Covid-related issues, and members also received a presentation on a new power management training and testing tool. Aimed at control centre staff this is currently under development by simulator specialists AVANSIM with support from the LRSSB.
Before the meeting closed, the group said goodbye to Lynne Handley from Blackpool Transport whose retirement is due before the next meeting.