In this week’s news from the light rail sector – Edinburgh Trams on track for top award, new arrivals on Tyne & Wear Metro, a new video offers insight into Stourbridge Shuttle success, and Seaton Tramway sponsors book inspired by Jurassic fossils.

UKTram

A new initiative promises to deliver a major career boost for the rising stars of light rail.

More than half of UK networks have already pledged to support plans to formalise cross-sector secondments that will help the sector retain top talent while providing additional experience for ambitious young managers, engineers and other key personnel.

Members of the UKTram Executive Committee agreed to the proposal at a recent meeting, and you can read more here.

In other light rail news:

Edinburgh Trams

Record-breaking customer numbers have put the Edinburgh Trams team on track for top accolades at a prestigious awards ceremony.

Currently Scotland’s Number One Public Transport Operator, the city’s acclaimed tramway is now aiming to scoop the coveted title of ‘Large Business of the Year’ at the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Awards, an event that celebrates the success of local businesses.

The operator has also been shortlisted in the ‘High Growth Business of the Year’ category, and the full story can be found here.

Pre Metro

The operator of the renowned Stourbridge Shuttle has released an insightful new YouTube video titled “How Does It Work?”

This engaging and educational video highlights the Shuttle as the UK’s only Very Light Rail (VLR) system and explores how the rolling stock works, and how similar projects can revolutionise public transportation in other regions.

The Stourbridge Shuttle is celebrated for its exceptional reliability and efficiency and has been an exemplar of VLR success in the rail sector, and you can read more here.

Tyne & Wear Metro

Operator Nexus says it’s delighted to receive a further two new trains from Switzerland in December, marking off another major project milestone.

Its new fleet is a bespoke design for Metro by Stadler and, before entering customer service, around 22,000 standards and clauses must be complied with, 90,000 individual tests completed and 480 of our people given extensive training.

All of this is to ensure that the new trains work safely and seamlessly with Metro’s 60 stations and 77km of track, and more details can be found here.

Heritage  

Seaton Tramway and Jurassic Discovery have sponsored a new book inspired by the Jurassic Period of Britain and the fossil record of the Dorset coast.

Written by Wayne Munday and illustrated by Eleanor Western, the stunningly illustrated book will be available from Seaton Station, Colyton Station and Jurassic Discovery shops! Find out more by clicking here.

LRSSB

The use of advanced data visualisation tools to further improve safety on UK tramways has taken a major step forward with the launch of a new user interface to help light rail networks access and understand vital information on the risks they face.

Following months of development and input from professionals from across the sector, the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board has produced new ‘dashboards’ that provide visual representations of the networks’ safety risk model results.

Made possible by a landmark agreement to share information and intelligence across the sector, the new user interfaces also enable networks to reflect on their own risk profile and compare it with the wider sector, as reported here.

To be included in the next round-up, or the Members News section of the UKTram website, send your press releases to info@uktram.org.