Hucknall and Bulwell trams operator appoints new head of operations and safety

Andrew Downie joins the team as head of operations and safety, bringing a wealth of experience to the role, gained from a career spanning more than ten years within the rail industry, and two decades with Nottinghamshire Police.

Beginning his career at British Rail, Andrew gained a strong understanding of the core foundations required for day-to-day service delivery in transport.

Building on this, he progressed to duty service manager for East Midlands Railway, where he was responsible for overseeing live operations, managing service performance and supporting drivers and depot teams in Nottingham.

With the aim of spearheading NET’s commitment to safety, Andrew also brings a strong focus on public safety and risk management, instilled during his time with Nottinghamshire Police.

Following a range of operational roles at high profile events, he has a deep understanding of how to enforce core safety elements within complex and fast-paced operational environments.

Andrew said: “Upholding NET’s commitment to ensuring the safety of passengers, drivers and other road users is a key priority for me.

"I believe there’s a need to keep educating and raising awareness around the realities of sharing the road with a tram, and I’ll continue to drive forward the safety campaign launched last year around road traffic collisions.

"The impact of these collisions is significant, not only in terms of safety but also from an operational perspective, with such collisions often greatly impacting the wider network.

"As a result, this will be a big focus of my role.”

In 2025, Operation Safenet was launched by Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Gary Godden (Lab) in collaboration with Nottinghamshire Police and NET, to focus on improving safety levels for passengers and staff on trams.

In his work, Andrew will continue to build upon this, by creating an environment where everyone using the network can feel secure during day-to-day operations, as well as emergency incidents.

Andew added: “During my time with NET already, the team’s dedication has shone through.

"They really care about delivering a great service and I’m looking forward to working with them to continue to strengthen safety and service reliability across the network.

“Every day, I see how integral the trams are to the people of Nottingham, whether that’s to get commuters to work, students to their lectures or families across the city.

"And I’m looking forward to helping NET continue to deliver a safe, reliable and efficient service that people can trust to keep Nottingham moving.”