The UKTram Centre of Excellence – the specialist technical arm of UKTram, the authoritative voice for the tram and light rail sector – has met to progress key work on tramway design and workforce development, reinforcing support for a growing UK light rail market.
At its recent meeting, Centre of Excellence members reviewed several strategic and technical projects aimed at making future tramway schemes more deliverable, efficient and aligned with wider rail integration. A major focus was on tramway design guidance, with two important guidance documents now in their final stages: Cost Reduction and Efficient Design Guidance and Transport and Works Act statutory process guidance. These documents are intended to help planners and project sponsors deliver schemes more consistently and navigate statutory processes with greater clarity — early feedback on the work, including from the Department for Transport, has been positive.
The Centre also discussed Mixed Use Railway approaches, drawing on lessons from tram-train and shared-use operations to improve integration between tramways and the conventional rail network, reducing complexity for future projects.
Another key theme was skills and workforce development. Members noted increased engagement around light rail apprenticeship opportunities and ongoing conversations with Skills England and the Department for Transport about how existing frameworks can better support the sector’s future workforce needs. Visibility, coordination and sector-wide support for apprenticeships and career pathways were highlighted as priorities to ensure light rail has the expertise it needs in the long term.
The next Centre of Excellence meeting is scheduled for April 2026, as UKTram continues to support the evolution of tramway design standards and strengthen workforce capability across the light rail industry.
UKTram’s Centre of Excellence has been widely recognised for its work in supporting new tramways and extensions, including winning Team of the Year at the 2024 Global Light Rail Awards for delivering practical tools like route maps and design guidance to help remove barriers to implementation.
