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Tram Operator of the Year

Tram Operator of the Year

Tram Operator of the Year

Submission Criteria

Previous Winner

A submission in this category should demonstrate

Improvements to services and facilities.
Patronage growth and/or reliability and punctuality.
Customer and employee satisfaction.
Accessibility standards and initiatives.
Sustainability initiatives and investment

Submission Criteria

Previous Winner

A submission in this category should demonstrate

Improvements to services and facilities.
Patronage growth and/or reliability and punctuality.
Customer and employee satisfaction.
Accessibility standards and initiatives.
Sustainability initiatives and investment

Submission Criteria

Previous Winner

A submission in this category should demonstrate

Improvements to services and facilities.
Patronage growth and/or reliability and punctuality.
Customer and employee satisfaction.
Accessibility standards and initiatives.
Sustainability initiatives and investment

WINNER

Blackpool Transport Services

Blackpool Transport operates the UK’s only surviving first-generation tramway, carrying 20m visitors a year across the Fylde Coast. In June 2024, it opened the £22m North Station extension, returning trams to Talbot Street after 90 years and linking directly with national rail. The project forms part of the wider Talbot Gateway regeneration, including retail and office space. To maximise benefits, Blackpool introduced new timetables, innovative fare offers, and off-tram ticketing supported by conductors and a new sales team. Early results show a 27% patronage increase in the first month versus the previous year, with services now running every 10 minutes. Improvements also include deep cleaning, refreshed signage, and enhanced travel information. By boosting connectivity, supporting town centre regeneration, and attracting both commuters and visitors, Blackpool has positioned its tramway as a modern, integrated, and sustainable transport system while preserving its iconic heritage.

WINNER

Blackpool Transport Services

Blackpool Transport operates the UK’s only surviving first-generation tramway, carrying 20m visitors a year across the Fylde Coast. In June 2024, it opened the £22m North Station extension, returning trams to Talbot Street after 90 years and linking directly with national rail. The project forms part of the wider Talbot Gateway regeneration, including retail and office space. To maximise benefits, Blackpool introduced new timetables, innovative fare offers, and off-tram ticketing supported by conductors and a new sales team. Early results show a 27% patronage increase in the first month versus the previous year, with services now running every 10 minutes. Improvements also include deep cleaning, refreshed signage, and enhanced travel information. By boosting connectivity, supporting town centre regeneration, and attracting both commuters and visitors, Blackpool has positioned its tramway as a modern, integrated, and sustainable transport system while preserving its iconic heritage.

WINNER

Blackpool Transport Services

Blackpool Transport operates the UK’s only surviving first-generation tramway, carrying 20m visitors a year across the Fylde Coast. In June 2024, it opened the £22m North Station extension, returning trams to Talbot Street after 90 years and linking directly with national rail. The project forms part of the wider Talbot Gateway regeneration, including retail and office space. To maximise benefits, Blackpool introduced new timetables, innovative fare offers, and off-tram ticketing supported by conductors and a new sales team. Early results show a 27% patronage increase in the first month versus the previous year, with services now running every 10 minutes. Improvements also include deep cleaning, refreshed signage, and enhanced travel information. By boosting connectivity, supporting town centre regeneration, and attracting both commuters and visitors, Blackpool has positioned its tramway as a modern, integrated, and sustainable transport system while preserving its iconic heritage.

Edinburgh Trams

Edinburgh Trams serves a city of 500,000 residents and millions of annual visitors, with services every seven minutes from the airport to Newhaven. In 2024, it carried 12.1m passengers—up 30% on 2023—thanks to the first full year of the Newhaven line and a new timetable. Event management has become a hallmark: during Taylor Swift’s Murrayfield concerts, trams ran every 3.5 minutes, carrying 74,000 passengers in a single day—a record. Campaigns like Tram Era reached over 1m people online and attracted younger demographics. Safety remained paramount, with initiatives from the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board, including the “Two Lines = Stop” campaign and advanced driver fatigue monitoring. Customer satisfaction remains high, with trams seen as safe, reliable, and integral to Edinburgh’s transport network. By balancing daily commuter needs with world-class event delivery, Edinburgh Trams has set benchmarks in reliability, safety, and customer engagement.

Edinburgh Trams

Edinburgh Trams serves a city of 500,000 residents and millions of annual visitors, with services every seven minutes from the airport to Newhaven. In 2024, it carried 12.1m passengers—up 30% on 2023—thanks to the first full year of the Newhaven line and a new timetable. Event management has become a hallmark: during Taylor Swift’s Murrayfield concerts, trams ran every 3.5 minutes, carrying 74,000 passengers in a single day—a record. Campaigns like Tram Era reached over 1m people online and attracted younger demographics. Safety remained paramount, with initiatives from the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board, including the “Two Lines = Stop” campaign and advanced driver fatigue monitoring. Customer satisfaction remains high, with trams seen as safe, reliable, and integral to Edinburgh’s transport network. By balancing daily commuter needs with world-class event delivery, Edinburgh Trams has set benchmarks in reliability, safety, and customer engagement.

Edinburgh Trams

Edinburgh Trams serves a city of 500,000 residents and millions of annual visitors, with services every seven minutes from the airport to Newhaven. In 2024, it carried 12.1m passengers—up 30% on 2023—thanks to the first full year of the Newhaven line and a new timetable. Event management has become a hallmark: during Taylor Swift’s Murrayfield concerts, trams ran every 3.5 minutes, carrying 74,000 passengers in a single day—a record. Campaigns like Tram Era reached over 1m people online and attracted younger demographics. Safety remained paramount, with initiatives from the Light Rail Safety and Standards Board, including the “Two Lines = Stop” campaign and advanced driver fatigue monitoring. Customer satisfaction remains high, with trams seen as safe, reliable, and integral to Edinburgh’s transport network. By balancing daily commuter needs with world-class event delivery, Edinburgh Trams has set benchmarks in reliability, safety, and customer engagement.

West Midlands Metro

West Midlands Metro (MML) operates one of the UK’s fastest-growing light rail systems between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, with extensions to Dudley and Birmingham Eastside due in 2026. In 2024/25, patronage hit a record 8.78m journeys, up 6.2%, while revenue grew 7.2%. MML invested £6m in improvements including LED lighting upgrades (80% efficiency gains), renewable depot energy, targeted rail grinding to cut noise, and AI-enabled CCTV for safety. Fleet availability allowed service frequency to rise from every 10 minutes to every 8. Ticket machines at every stop now handle 20% of daily transactions, enhancing convenience. Customer satisfaction reached 91%, with reliability at 89% and frequency at 86%. Community initiatives include award-winning apprenticeships and skills academies. By combining safety, sustainability, and customer service with record growth, West Midlands Metro is delivering a greener, more reliable tram network while preparing for major expansion.

West Midlands Metro

West Midlands Metro (MML) operates one of the UK’s fastest-growing light rail systems between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, with extensions to Dudley and Birmingham Eastside due in 2026. In 2024/25, patronage hit a record 8.78m journeys, up 6.2%, while revenue grew 7.2%. MML invested £6m in improvements including LED lighting upgrades (80% efficiency gains), renewable depot energy, targeted rail grinding to cut noise, and AI-enabled CCTV for safety. Fleet availability allowed service frequency to rise from every 10 minutes to every 8. Ticket machines at every stop now handle 20% of daily transactions, enhancing convenience. Customer satisfaction reached 91%, with reliability at 89% and frequency at 86%. Community initiatives include award-winning apprenticeships and skills academies. By combining safety, sustainability, and customer service with record growth, West Midlands Metro is delivering a greener, more reliable tram network while preparing for major expansion.

West Midlands Metro

West Midlands Metro (MML) operates one of the UK’s fastest-growing light rail systems between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, with extensions to Dudley and Birmingham Eastside due in 2026. In 2024/25, patronage hit a record 8.78m journeys, up 6.2%, while revenue grew 7.2%. MML invested £6m in improvements including LED lighting upgrades (80% efficiency gains), renewable depot energy, targeted rail grinding to cut noise, and AI-enabled CCTV for safety. Fleet availability allowed service frequency to rise from every 10 minutes to every 8. Ticket machines at every stop now handle 20% of daily transactions, enhancing convenience. Customer satisfaction reached 91%, with reliability at 89% and frequency at 86%. Community initiatives include award-winning apprenticeships and skills academies. By combining safety, sustainability, and customer service with record growth, West Midlands Metro is delivering a greener, more reliable tram network while preparing for major expansion.

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  • Platinum  SPONSOR

  • GOLD SPONSORS

  • EVENT PARTNERS

  • CHARITY PARTNERS

© TransportTimes 2025

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  • Platinum  SPONSOR

  • GOLD SPONSORS

  • EVENT PARTNERS

  • CHARITY PARTNERS

© TransportTimes 2025

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