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Light Rail News Roundup, April 25th, 2025

  • Writer: UKTram
    UKTram
  • 2 hours ago
  • 4 min read

In this week’s news from the light rail sector – Edinburgh prepares for launch of ‘Tap on, Tap off’ payment system, procurement process for Metrolink operating and maintenance contract, West Midlands Metro offers discount for hospital staff and patients and NET resumes normal service following maintenance works.


Manchester Metrolink

Metrolink tram on Cross St, Manchester city centre

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has started the procurement process for the next operating and maintenance contract for Metrolink, the UK’s largest light-rail network.


A key part of the Bee Network - Greater Manchester’s integrated public transport and active travel system – the city region’s trams serve 99 stops across eight lines and 103 km of track.


KeolisAmey Metrolink (KAM) has operated and maintained the network since July 2017.  With that contract set to expire in 2027, TfGM has kick-started the procurement process for a contract estimated to be worth around £1.6 billion over a maximum duration of 11 years.



Edinburgh Trams

Advert showing the Edinburgh Trams Tap on and Tap off Option for Public Transport Travel on Trams

It will soon be easier than ever to pay for travel on Edinburgh’s popular tram network as final tests get underway on a new ‘Tap on, Tap off’ payment system.


Now in the final stages of testing, Edinburgh Trams will announce the launch date shortly for the new system, which is developed in collaboration with payment provider Flowbird, and marks the first project of its kind in Scotland. 


Quick and convenient, ‘Tap on, Tap off’ or ‘ToTo’ will ensure that customers only ever pay the best-value adult daily fare while enjoying seamless integration with Lothian Bus Services.



West Midlands Metro

West Midlands metro birdseye view of three Blue WMM Trams

Hospital staff, patients and their families will soon be able to enjoy discounted tram travel to appointments at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital thanks to a new partnership between West Midlands Metro and the UK’s leading specialist paediatric centre.


A discount of at least 12 per cent will be applied to tickets purchased using the MyMetro app as part of a trial that also includes hospital employees.


Although the offer will initially run for two months, if it proves popular, Metro hopes to make it a more permanent arrangement.



NET

NET Nottingham Tram

Normal service has resumed on Nottingham's tram network, following the successful completion of planned track maintenance work ahead of the busy Easter weekend.


Starting on 12 April, the essential tram track improvements took place between Middle Hill and Weekday Cross and have been successfully completed on schedule without any delays. The Lace Market tram stop reopened on 17 April, after being closed to allow the work to take place.


Trevor Stocker, Head of Operations at NET, has thanked the public for their co-operation during the maintenance work.



DLR

Dockland Light Railway - Doors

Cutty Sark DLR station is set to get four new state-of-the-art, energy-efficient escalators, providing customers with easier and more reliable access to and from the station. 


To complete the complex installation in the safest and most efficient way, the station will close until next spring. During the closure, customers are being urged to use the nearby Greenwich station, which is 11 minutes on foot, or local bus services. 


Improved street-level signage has been installed to help guide customers more easily between Cutty Sark and Greenwich stations. The four new escalators will replace the existing ones which have become increasingly unreliable and were eventually taken out of service.



Tyne & Wear Metro

A new Tyne and Wear Metro train has had a starring role at the Newcastle Puppetry Festival. 
Image Credit: Tyne and Wear Metro

A new Tyne and Wear Metro train has had a starring role at the Newcastle Puppetry Festival. 


The spectacular Metro puppet, 15 metres in length, was a striking feature of this year’s parade, which took place in Exhibition Park on Easter Saturday (April 19). 


The life-sized Metro carriage wowed the crowds, underscoring Metro’s role at the heart of the local communities it serves and the familiarity of the brand.



Proposed new systems

Indicative view of Luas Cork through Main Street Ballincollig

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), in partnership with the National Transport Authority (NTA), is inviting members of the public to take part in a non-statutory public consultation for Luas Cork, a transformative new light rail project for the city.

 

Cork has been selected by the European Commission to become one of Europe’s first climate-neutral cities. The proposed Luas Cork line, stretching 18km from Ballincollig to Mahon Point, supports this ambition by promoting sustainable, high-capacity public transport and reducing reliance on private cars.


The proposed line will feature up to 25 stops, linking key destinations including: Ballincollig and MTU, Cork University Hospital and UCC, and the consultation is open until Monday 9 June 2025. 



Heritage

Crich Tramway Village Volunteers
Image Credit: Crich Tramway Village

A project to create a new Access Tram for Crich has moved a step forward with the official launch of fundraising enable the tram to be completed and in service by spring 2026. 


This important project would see Blackpool Centenary 645 used to become Access Tram II, as well as retaining capacity for seated passengers, British Trams Online reports.


Crich has been without a suitable tram for visitors who are less physically able since Berlin 223 006-4 was withdrawn from service during 2022 for technical and safety reasons.



To be included in the next Round-up or the Members News section of the UKTram website, send your press releases, events and career opportunities to news@uktram.org


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