First test for very light rail vehicle on ‘revolutionary’ track

The pioneering Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) project has achieved a major milestone with successful running of the vehicle on its test track at the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) in Dudley.

The battery-powered vehicle and revolutionary track system will offer cities the chance to install rapid passenger tram systems faster and at a much lower cost than traditional light rail systems.

The innovative track is thinner than the track used in existing light rail or tram systems. As a result, it can be laid just 30cm deep into the road surface, reducing the need to divert all pipes and cables, which can add significant cost and time delays to light rail projects.

The Coventry VLR project has been developed by a number of innovative West Midlands organisations including Coventry City Council, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), WMG at the University of Warwick and the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation, which runs the Dudley VLRNIC.

The project is backed with funding from the £1.05 billion City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) awarded to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) by the Department for Transport. The CVLR project has been allocated £40m from that funding to progress the research and development to deliver an affordable integrated mass transit system that could be deployed in cities across the country.

This test track includes a tight curve and a 250m vertical hump as both of these are significant challenges for traditional slab track constructions and are one of the reasons tram systems take a long time to build and why they are so expensive.

This construction has included instrumentation so that vibration, sound and stresses produced by the vehicle can be monitored to demonstrate how the track form in conjunction with the novel features of the CVLR vehicle reduces vibration and sound compared to standard tram systems.

Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council’s cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change, had the chance to see the test at the VLRNIC and was impressed by what he saw.

He said: “It was fantastic to see the vehicle running on its track for the very first time. This track is crucial to our vision and this successful test is a big milestone for the project.

“The track is unique; it’s specifically designed to be installed more quickly and more easily than the tracks used by other light rail systems.

“This test will also show that our vehicle is able to run on tight corners and up and down hills – it’s this that will enable it to run in smaller and medium sized cities. But there is no reason a traditional tram couldn’t run on it too – making delivery of trams more affordable.

“Coventry Very Light Rail is pioneering – with the potential to create new jobs and tackle climate change by providing people with a zero-emission mode of travel.

“This is Coventry doing what it does best. We led the industrial revolution here in Coventry and now, with fantastic projects like this, we are leading the green industrial revolution too.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, following a visit to the test track to view progress, said: “By investing in - and supporting the development of - Very Light Rail in Coventry and Dudley, we’re placing our region right at the forefront of what is a tremendously innovative technology.

“It’s yet another wonderful example of the industry and ingenuity for which the West Midlands is deservedly known. I look forward to seeing this technology progress from the workshop to real world application in the months and years ahead.

“As VLR picks up pace, we’ll be able to further reduce traffic congestion and improve our air quality - offering a convenient and sustainable transport option for local people to enjoy.”

To find out more about the Coventry Very Light Rail project, please visit the website.

Pictured: Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and Cllr Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council checking the new CVLR tram on track at the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre