'It shows just how far we've come': West Midlands Metro scoops national award
West Midlands Metro has been named the Tram Operator of the Year at a prestigious awards ceremony, despite a turbulent few years for the organisation.
The network scooped the award at the National Transport Awards on Thursday night, in a ceremony which also crowned Transport for West Midlands as the Regional Transport Authority of the Year.
The Metro's interim managing director, Sophie Allison, said the award showed "just how far we have come over the past year or so".
It comes after a controversial few years for West Midlands Metro, with the service out of action for several months during 2021 and 2022 due to cracks in the trams, and workers going on strike at the end of 2022 in a dispute over pay and conditions.
Last month, the 720m track extension from Wolverhampton St George's to Wolverhampton Railway Station finally opened, having been marred by years of delays.
Having originally been due to open in 2019, the project was beset by issues including the Covid-19 pandemic and rising costs, as the project's budget soared from £35m to £50m.
However, West Midlands Metro has now been recognised for its service at a ceremony at the Westminster Park Plaza in London.
Sophie Allison said: "We’re delighted this hard work has been recognised by the organisers of the awards, especially in the face of stiff competition from colleagues running excellent tramways in other UK cities.
"It reflects our unwavering commitment to putting the customer at the heart of everything we do, whether that’s freezing fares or installing new technology to make our network even safer.
"As a result of these efforts, we’ve led the sector in its post-Covid recovery, recording passenger numbers above and beyond those seen before the global pandemic.
"The introduction of new trams and extensive work to repair the existing fleet, combined with investment in infrastructure, have also helped to boost reliability and operational efficiency."
Success at the National Transport Awards, which are organised by Transport Times and endorsed by its partners, including the Department for Transport and independent customer watchdog Transport Focus, follows recognition for the Metro at the Global Light Rail Awards earlier in the week.
Also held in London, the event saw the network highly commended in three categories, including Best Customer Initiative and Significant Safety Initiative. Assistant project manager, Helen Cooper, was also recognised in the Rising Star category.
Sophie added: "These successes show just how far we have come over the past year or so and reflect the dedication and professionalism of the entire team.
"As the network continues to grow, we are well placed to reach new heights of service excellence as more communities discover the benefits of travelling by tram!"
