At the beginning of July, Pre Metro returned from the UK Light Rail Conference 2026.

The event was key in strengthening relationships across the rail industry, promoted its ambitious Dudley Dasher proposal and launched its newly updated Bigger Picture Strategy – our vision that demonstrates how Very Light Rail can become a catalyst for transforming local railway accessibility.

Held at Nottingham Trent University, the two-day conference brought together more than 350 delegates from across the light rail sector, including operators, manufacturers, transport authorities, consultants, suppliers and policymakers. As the operator of the UK’s only operational Very Light Rail service, the Stourbridge Shuttle, Pre Metro used the event to showcase how practical, lower-cost transport solutions can help address the UK’s growing connectivity challenges.

Throughout the conference, the team met with key partners and organisations from across the industry to discuss future collaboration, technological innovation and opportunities to accelerate the development of affordable mass transit. Conversations built upon relationships developed over many years and reinforced the growing interest in scalable transport solutions that can be delivered more quickly and at significantly lower cost than traditional light rail schemes.

A major focus of the event was the promotion of the proposed Dudley Dasher – Pre Metro’s vision for extending the success of the Stourbridge Shuttle into the Black Country. The proposal demonstrates how Very Light Rail could reconnect communities between Stourbridge and Brierley Hill while supporting regeneration, reducing congestion and creating a practical stepping stone towards a wider regional transit network.

Reformated by Dynamite Design, our Bigger Picture Strategy sets out the company’s long-term vision for the future of Very Light Rail in Dudley and beyond.

Rather than viewing individual schemes in isolation, the strategy illustrates how projects such as the Stourbridge Shuttle and Dudley Dasher form part of a much broader ambition: creating interconnected local transport networks that are affordable to build, sustainable to operate and capable of evolving alongside future passenger demand.

The Bigger Picture Strategy argues that many towns and smaller urban centres have been overlooked by traditional transport investment because conventional light rail and metro systems are often too expensive to justify. Very Light Rail offers an alternative approach – one that enables communities to introduce rail-based public transport at a fraction of the cost while delivering many of the same economic, environmental and social benefits.

Drawing on more than 17 years of operational experience, the strategy also highlights how proven schemes can act as demonstrators for wider network expansion, encouraging local authorities and government to adopt a more scalable approach to public transport investment.

Charlie Merrell, Press and Marketing Officer at Pre Metro Operations, said:

“We had the opportunity to speak with key partners from across the industry, promote the Dudley Dasher to organisations that can help shape its future, and launch our new Bigger Picture Strategy.

‘The document represents everything we’ve learned from operating the Stourbridge Shuttle over the past 17 years and shows how Very Light Rail can become part of a much wider solution to improving connectivity across the UK.

The conference reinforced our belief that collaboration will be essential to delivering the next generation of public transport. By engaging with industry leaders, policymakers and delivery partners, the company continues to champion a future where innovation, affordability and practicality sit at the heart of transport investment.

With renewed partnerships, fresh industry engagement and the launch of its Bigger Picture Strategy, Pre Metro leaves the conference with renewed momentum as it continues to advocate for Very Light Rail as a key component of Britain’s future transport network.