Pre Metro will be attending the 20th anniversary UK Light Rail Conference at Nottingham Trent University later this month, joining more than 350 transport professionals, operators, manufacturers, consultants and policymakers for the industry’s flagship annual event. The conference provides a unique opportunity to share ideas, strengthen partnerships and explore how innovation can shape the future of public transport across the UK.

As the operator of the Stourbridge Shuttle – the UK’s only operational Very Light Rail (VLR) service – Pre Metro will use the event to demonstrate how smaller, lower-cost rail solutions can help address many of the transport challenges facing towns and cities today.

With over 17 years of operational experience, the Stourbridge Shuttle has become a nationally recognised example of how affordable rail services can deliver reliable, sustainable and frequent public transport. Carrying more than 8.5 million passengers since entering permanent service, the Shuttle continues to prove that innovation does not have to come with the high costs traditionally associated with rail infrastructure.

The conference, returning to Nottingham where it first began in 2006, is centred around the theme of Past, Present, and Future.

It will explore how the sector has evolved over the last two decades while examining the technologies, policies and investment strategies that will shape the next generation of light rail systems. Delegates will take part in keynote presentations, technical discussions, depot tours and extensive networking opportunities throughout the two-day event.

The company will meet with existing partners, transport authorities, suppliers and fellow operators to discuss opportunities for collaboration, share lessons learned from operating the Stourbridge Shuttle, and continue conversations surrounding projects such as the proposed Dudley Dasher and other future VLR schemes.

Throughout the conference, the Pre Metro team will be available to discuss the operational success of the Stourbridge Shuttle, the continuing development of Very Light Rail technologies, and the wider role that scalable, lower-cost transport solutions can play in supporting decarbonisation, regeneration and improved connectivity.

As the UK continues to explore new approaches to delivering sustainable transport, Pre Metro believes collaboration across the industry will be essential in ensuring innovative solutions become part of future national transport policy.