In this week’s news from the light rail sector – LRSSB appoints new board member, Edinburgh Trams reflects on success as anniversary approaches, damage to trams in Croydon and Heaton Park Tramway prepares to reopen.
UK Tram
A pioneering initiative supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the transport industry has been praised by UKTram as the project celebrates a successful first year.
A collaboration between Coventry University, Connected Places Catapult, the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation, and a host of other organisations from across the public and private sectors, the Clean Futures programme plans to leverage £8 million to stimulate investment of over £30 million in new products for the transition to Net Zero.
It is supporting SMEs in existing supply chains, and those looking to move into new market sectors, by providing them with technological and development assistance for their products, and you can read more here.
In other light rail news:
LRSSB
The Managing Director of Blackpool Transport has become the latest high-profile figure to be appointed to the board of the organisation responsible for light rail safety.
Jane Cole joins the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board as a non-executive director as it continues to deliver an ambitious programme of activity aimed at further driving down risks to network employees, their customers, and members of the public who come into contact with tramways.
A former winner of the Business Woman of the Year accolade at the Northern Enterprise Vision Awards, and a previous President of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, Jane has led Blackpool Transport since 2014, and you can read the full story here.
Edinburgh Trams
As Edinburgh Trams prepares for a landmark anniversary, its dedicated team has kicked off the celebrations by reflecting on what it felt like to bring trams back to the city after over 50 years.
At 5.00 am on Friday, May 31, it will be exactly 10 years since the first passenger service unit ran from Gyle Centre to York Place, launching a decade of award-winning success for the popular tramway.
The eagerly awaited launch followed years of construction as well as rigorous testing, commissioning, and training to ensure the newly constructed line, software, and signals worked effectively and safely. To read more, click here.
London Trams
Trams in Croydon have been taken out of service due to damaged wheels, according to Transport for London (TfL).
Engineers say debris on the track caused the damage but, despite an inspection, have been unable to find exactly what debris it was.
The BBC reports TfL as saying large parts of the network are now closed and passengers should expect major disruption to the rest of the service, and you can read the full story here.
Heritage
It may be later than originally hoped, but the 2024 season at Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway will get underway on Saturday, June 15, British Trams Online reports.
The news has been confirmed by the tramway’s official Facebook page and the announcement comes just a few days after testing was able to start.
The 2024 season had originally been due to start on Saturday, March 30, but a component failure in the substation prevented this from happening.
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.
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