Edinburgh Trams streamlines worksite safety and access with Permit+

client: Edinburgh Trams
industry: Urban Light Rail
location: Edinburgh, Scotland
product: Permit+

Overview

Edinburgh Trams, the operator of Scotland’s capital city’s light rail network, needed a better way to manage third-party access and safety compliance across their infrastructure. The existing paper-based permit system was slow, opaque, and risk-prone – lacking real-time visibility, traceability, and modern coordination tools.

Metrotech partnered with Edinburgh Trams to introduce Permit+, a cloud-based permit management platform designed for light rail environments. The platform digitised and streamlined the full lifecycle of Authority to Work (AtW) applications, approvals, and field coordination – replacing a cumbersome, manual process with an intelligent, mobile-enabled system.

Challenges

Paper-based AtW processes were inefficient, hard to track, and prone to miscommunication

Field and control room coordination was manual and often delayed

No unified calendar or map view of planned works – increasing the risk of clashes and operational disruption

Lack of audit trail and structured risk mitigation steps for works near or on track

Engineering staff were spending excessive time on administrative tasks

The Solution: Permit+

Metrotech developed Permit+ as a purpose-built solution for the unique operational demands of the light rail sector. Unlike off-the-shelf workflow tools or legacy systems adapted from other industries, Permit+ was designed from the ground up to manage the complete lifecycle of Authority to Work permits – ensuring that every application, review, approval, and on-site activity follows a clear, compliant, and auditable process.

The platform brings together everyone involved — applicants, engineers, safety teams, and control room staff – in a single, cloud-based environment that delivers real-time oversight, faster decision-making, and stronger safety governance.

With both web and mobile interfaces, Permit+ supports a fully connected network of stakeholders, whether they're in the office, on the track, or out in the field.

Branded Web Portal

Structured online AtW applications with embedded payments
Risk mitigation steps tailored to each application
Application filtering, review, and engineer assignment

Interactive Calendar & Map View

Visualise permits geospatially
Plan works to align with network isolations
Minimise conflict and service disruption

Mobile App

Applicants and engineers can review or request to start works
Live notifications and control room approval workflows
GPS-based proof of permit and field audit trails

Active Worksites

Permit Activation Requests

Once a permit is issued, the Person in Charge can request activation via the mobile app. Control room staff review and approve before work can begin, ensuring safety steps are confirmed.

Real-Time Control Room View

The module shows all active permits on a live map, giving operators instant visibility of ongoing works and helping prevent conflicts or unauthorised activity.

Deactivation & Sign-Off

On completion, the permit is deactivated through a structured sign-off. Both field staff and control confirm closure, maintaining a clear, auditable safety record.

Testimonials

Why Edinburgh Trams chooses Permit+

Marilena Papadopoulou

Head of Projects and Renewals - Edinburgh Trams

"Permit+ has fundamentally modernised how we manage access to the tram infrastructure.

“The shift from paper-based systems to a fully digital platform has allowed us to track every permit application in real-time, with a full audit trail of risk assessments, approvals, and on-site activity. The introduction of live activation and deactivation via the mobile app has significantly improved our field-to-control room coordination.

”Engineers no longer have to rely on manual phone-ins or email chains - we now have a structured, enforceable workflow that ensures work starts and ends with the correct authorisations in place.

“From a planning perspective, the live map and calendar views let us quickly assess network availability and avoid conflicts. The platform’s flexibility in grouping permits around isolations or major works has also helped us streamline possessions and reduce service interruptions.

”Permit+ has become a critical operational tool for us that we continue to promote within our industry as it ensures that access to the tram infrastructure is managed in a safe and controlled way."