The popularity of West Midlands Metro with its customers has been recognised with a prestigious award at a high-profile event in London last night (October 5).
The network scooped top honours in the Tram Operator of the Year category at the National Transport Awards after a string of remarkable achievements over the past 12 months.
From the successful launch of new extensions and initiatives to helping customers through the cost-of-living crisis, the Metro team has worked tirelessly to deliver a safe, secure, reliable and sustainable service for tens of thousands of people who rely on it every day.
Sophie Allison, the Metro’s Interim Managing Director, explained: “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 recognised in the Rising Star category.
“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,” Sophie said.
“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!” she added.
