About Coventry Very Light Rail

Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) is an innovative research and development project designed to create an affordable rail-based travel system that can be delivered at less than half the cost and in half the time of conventional light rail systems, while providing the same benefits.

The project has developed a new vehicle and track which aims to provide a reliable, frequent, environmentally friendly, hop-on, hop-off service in the city.

CVLR will provide residents with an alternative transport option, help improve air quality, reduce congestion, support housing development, and provide jobs and skills. The system's installation will secure local investment and put Coventry at the forefront of the green industrial revolution.

Coventry Very Light Rails Flickr Images

Why Coventry Very Light Rail is needed in Coventry

Where conventional light rail systems can cost upwards of £25 million per kilometre to install and as much as £100 million per kilometre in city centres, we will deliver a solution that provides the benefits of a conventional tram but at a significantly reduced installation cost.

Transport is responsible for nearly 30% of our carbon emissions. While switching to electric vehicles is important, we also need to reduce car use significantly to meet our net-zero goals. Reducing reliance on cars means the environment will become of higher quality and create more land for green space.

An accessible and affordable system will increase social inclusivity and mobility, and provide opportunities for jobs and education in Coventry.

The vehicle and track 

The project has developed a new type of vehicle and track that aims to provide a reliable, frequent, environmentally friendly, hop-on, hop-off transport system in Coventry and other cities and towns at a lower cost than conventional light rail, while still offering the same benefits. It has been designed to meet the transport needs of Coventry.

The vehicle is battery-powered, eliminating the need for overhead wires. It features an innovative turning system, enabling it to handle 15m radius curves. This allows for installation in tight corners within the existing highway. The Council intends for it to operate at a high frequency, providing a turn-up-and-go service. The vehicle has a capacity of 56, is comfortable and has low floors to enable passengers to embark and disembark easily. The vehicle has been developed to allow autonomous operation in future.

The new track is laid just 30cm within the road’s surface, minimising the need to relocate pipes and cables, which is time-consuming and expensive. It achieves this by leveraging cutting-edge materials science, while still utilising standard rail parts to ensure ease of manufacture.

Research, development and testing

Plans for the first route are under development and will connect significant employment and education sites with the city centre, integrating with the bus and railway stations. Coventry Very Light Rail will form part of the wider public transport network, connecting with existing buses. The long-term vision for Coventry Very Light Rail is to develop an integrated transport solution which may be commercially available to other cities across the UK and globally.

Work to deliver the scheme is well underway and falls into four main areas:

1. design, construction and testing of a vehicle prototype
2. design, development and testing of a new innovative low-cost form of track
3. business case and development of a design for the first route in Coventry
4. design, planning and delivery of an operations and maintenance strategy

Accessibility along the Coventry Very Light Rail route

The Council will ensure adequate provisions for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicle passengers. We are collaborating with stakeholders to develop proposals that address concerns.

Partners and funding

Coventry Very Light Rail is being funded by a number of partners: the West Midlands Combined Authority, the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership the Council, and the project is part of Coventry's bid to the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. 

The Council is collaborating with a number of partners on the development of the project, including WMG at the University of Warwick, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and the black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation to drive forward the research, development and testing of the system.

Take a virtual tour of what the vehicle might look like

Please send any questions or comments to CoventryVLR@coventry.gov.uk