Opening address

I was somewhat daunted to be giving the keynote address at this symposium because I feared that many of those present and certainly many of the authors - knew a lot more about light rail than I do. However, having been involved with the Manchester Metrolink scheme for many years, and having been a Vice-president of UITP, I have some experience of light rail, both here and abroad.

From the number of delegates at the symposium it is clear that interest in light rail schemes in Britain is at an extremely high level. My own executive is probably spending about £500 000 on development alone and, therefore, the industry which has grown up to plan, design and evaluate these schemes must already have a turnover which is measurable in millions. What I would like to do is to make it clear why there is such interest. By trying to understand the light rail phenomenon in a broader context I hope that this address wil l lay the foundation for the rest of the volume.