Rail Intel has welcomed Network Rail to the Global Light Rail Portal, strengthening the platform’s role in supporting integrated transport planning and improved passenger connectivity between heavy rail and light rail networks.
As passenger journeys increasingly span multiple modes, access to clear, comparable intelligence across light rail, tram, metro, and tram-train systems is becoming essential. The Global Light Rail Portal provides a single source of qualified insight into systems that are operational, under construction, or in planning, enabling organisations to understand how networks are evolving and connecting globally.
Designed to support informed decision-making, the Portal brings together system-level data, infrastructure detail, and live development tracking, reducing the time teams spend sourcing, validating, and comparing information across fragmented sources.
Key capabilities of the Portal include the ability to:
- Understand how rail-to-light-rail integration is being delivered internationally
- Benchmark tram-train and interchange approaches across comparable networks
- Track light rail extensions and system developments that influence passenger interchange
- Support long-term planning with trusted, continuously updated intelligence
Commenting on the importance of global visibility, Simon Coulthard, Head of Light Rail at Network Rail said: “As rail networks become more interconnected, having clear visibility of how light rail and tram-train systems are planned, delivered, and integrated elsewhere is increasingly important. Access to global, comparable intelligence supports more informed thinking around connectivity, passenger experience, and long-term network planning.”
Rail Intel’s inclusion of tram-train systems and multi-system networks reflects the realities of modern transport planning, where traditional boundaries between heavy rail and urban rail are increasingly blurred. By placing light rail intelligence within a wider planning context, the Portal supports a more joined-up view of how infrastructure decisions shape passenger movement across modes.
The onboarding of Network Rail further strengthens the Global Light Rail Portal’s position as a trusted resource for organisations operating within complex, multi-modal transport environments, supporting collaboration, clarity, and better-informed planning across the rail sector.
