Coventry has pushed forward plans for a £72M demonstrator of a Very Light Rail (VLR) system to kickstart a planned transport revolution in the UK.
The city will be the first in the UK to get innovative battery powered rail after West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) agreed a huge investment in the project.
Coventry City Council leader George Duggins further revealed his city’s initial track will stretch from Pool Meadow Bus Station to Coventry Train Station with the demonstrator being located in the city centre.
West Midlands mayor and WMCA chair Andy Street said: “This funding will allow us to take VLR to the next level – from the workshop to real-world demonstration – and shows the WMCA Board’s unequivocal backing for innovation in Coventry.
“This technology has the potential to deliver tram systems at pace and at much lower cost – giving more people access to a modern rapid transit system as well as cleaner air and less congestion along with it.
“Coventry has helped pioneer VLR and will therefore – alongside our wider region – be well placed to take advantage of this growing industry and the new job opportunities it will bring in the months and years ahead.”
The funding will also allow specialist on site-testing for other VLR systems to proceed, including plans for a £415M network in Stoke-on-Trent. Much of the investment will fund the construction of the demonstration track in Coventry city center and also develop a business case for a fully operational system in the city.
In November of last year, a report from the cross-party House of Lords Built Environment Committee suggested the Coventry VLR project could be a game changer for UK transport given its potential to be more affordable than other light rail schemes.
The Public transport in towns and cities report said that “while light rail schemes appear to be more effective at generating modal shift from the car than bus-based schemes, their high costs mean that they are unaffordable in many areas”.
VLR technology is both faster and cheaper to build than traditional systems as instead of using overhead cabling it uses lightweight, battery-powered electric vehicles. The track the vehicles use further requires less extensive foundations than conventional light rail systems so can be installed faster and cheaper.
Further funding is also being earmarked for a new Very Light Rail National Innovation Center (VLRNIC) in Dudley. This will allow equipment to be bought to make the center fully operational.
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