Major milestone for Coventry Very Light Rail project
Very Light Rail is said to have the potential to create new jobs and tackle climate change by providing people with a zero-emission mode of travel.
The Coventry Very Light Rail (VLR) vehicle has successfully run on a test track for the first time at the National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) in Dudley.
The battery-powered vehicle and unique track system hopes to provide public transport faster and at a much lower cost than traditional trams.
This development work is said to be leading up to a real-world demonstration of VLR on the streets of Coventry city centre.
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.
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.
"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."
The VLR project has been developed by a number of 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 ÂŁ1.05 billion City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) awarded to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) by the Department for Transport.
It has been allocated ÂŁ40m 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.
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.
"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, visit www.coventry.gov.uk/vlr.
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