Coventry confirms route for Very Light tram

The West Midlands city of Coventry in the UK has confirmed the route where the next stage of the Very Light Rail tramway will be built, the next stage in the demonstration project. The 800m line will link Coventry Railway Station with Coventry University Technology Park, with double track due to be installed by March 2027. Unlike the previous 200m demonstration line, the new one will operate in live traffic conditions to prove the safety and viability of the concept. If successful the next stage could be a line from Coventry railway Station to the site of the former Coventry Airport, that is being redeveloped. The new demonstration line will delivered within the £43.7M budget allocated to the project. Coventry City Council owns the intellectual property rights to the VLR technology that could allow small and medium-sized cities such as Coventry to develop tram networks at a fraction of the cost of traditional trams. The City Council aims to demonstrate that VLR can de delivered at a cost of around £16M per mile. 

 

Labour councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change said the tram line would be a game-changer. ‘It will be good for the environment and in future it has the potential to be autonomous, offering a hop-on hop-off service’. The prototype VLR tram used in the first demonstration is battery-powered.