Public transport

The Transport Strategy describes plans to deliver major improvements to the city’s public transport network, including the development of a first-of-its-kind in the world mass transit system, Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR), and improvements to existing rail and bus services.  The table below shows the specific public transport schemes which we currently plan to deliver over the lifetime of this strategy.

Future public transport network plan
Description Lead organisation  Expected cost bracket Secured/likely funding sources  Progress 
Development of an integrated public transport network plan for Coventry, responding to factors such as the outcome of bus service network reviews, the outcome of the WM On-Demand pilot scheme, network development work for the CVLR, and business cases for new railway stations and services Coventry City Council N/A  

Years 1-4 - Scheme in development

Year 5 onwards - Construction/scheme delivery

CVLR
Projects Description Lead organisation  Expected cost bracket Secured/likely funding sources  Progress 
CVLR ‘demonstration project’ Development of a short section of track between Coventry Railway Station and Pool Meadow Bus Station to allow CVLR vehicles to be tested in a live environment. This section will eventually form part of Route 1 Coventry City Council £25-£50m City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS)

Year 1-2 - Scheme in development

Year 3 onwards Construction/scheme delivery

CVLR Route 1 A first CVLR route, connecting Coventry Railway Station to University Hospital Coventry City Council £100m+ CRSTS/ Other sources TBC

Years 1-2 - Scheme in development

Years 3 onwards - Construction/scheme delivery

Further CVLR  routes Development of a further network of VLR Routes serving various key locations across the city Coventry City Council £100m+ TBC

Years 1-5 - Scheme in development

Year 6 - Construction/scheme delivery

Rail
Projects Description Lead organisation Expected cost bracket Secured/likely funding sources Progress
Tile Hill Station improvements Station improvements aimed at establishing Tile Hill as a transport interchange/Park & Ride site, serving the West side of the city West Midlands (TfWM)    

Years 1-3 - Scheme in development

Year 4 - Construction/scheme delivery

New direct connections to the East Midlands Establishing a direct rail connection between Coventry, Leicester and Nottingham Midlands Connect £100m+ Midlands Connect / Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP)

Years 1-5 - Scheme in development

Year 6  - Construction/scheme delivery

More frequent service to Leamington, Kenilworth and Nuneaton Improvements, including at Coventry Station and some double tracking of the line between Coventry and Leamington, to enable an increased service of two trains per hour Midlands Connect £100m+ Midlands Connect / RNEP

Years 1-5 - Scheme in development

Year 6  - Construction/scheme delivery

Potential further new railway stations

Potential further new railway stations. Initial work will focus on Coventry East (Binley & Willenhall), with potential for Coventry South and/or Foleshill to also be explored

Partnership with TfWM / West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) sites are considered viable RNEP

Years 1-5 - Scheme in development

Year 6  - Construction/scheme delivery

Bus
Projects Description Lead organisation Expected cost bracket Secured/likely funding sources Progress
Expanded trial of WM On Demand  A wider rollout of the existing WM On Demand bus services, initially on a trial basis. This would see the service area expand to cover the whole city and the service’s operating hours also extended, with potential for merging operations with other similar services such as Ring and Ride TfWM

<£10m

TfWM/ Developer contributions

Years 1-2 - Construction/scheme delivery
Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) Delivery of plans set out in TfWM’s BSIP, including freezing fares, expanding the use of contactless payments, ensuring tickets can be used across different operators and expanding the use of real time information at bus stops TfWM £50-100m (WMCA full area) BSIP Years 1-4 - Construction/scheme delivery
All Electric Bus City All buses operating in the city to be replaced with electric buses Partnership with TfWM > 100m DfT - All Electric Bus City grant (£50m)/ Bus operator contributions Years 1-4 - Construction/scheme delivery
Reform of regional bus services Formal review of options for delivery of bus services across the region, including franchising, and implementation of the preferred option TfWM    

Years 1-2 - Scheme in development

Year 3 onwards- Construction/scheme delivery

Ansty Park & Ride Establishing an, initially bus-based, park and ride service at Ansty as part of the Coventry and Warwickshire CLEAN Hub project (with the potential to add a CVLR service at a later date) Partnership with Warwickshire County Council (WCC) / Rugby Borough Council (RBC) £50-100m Partnership with private sector

Years 1-5 - Scheme in development

Year 6 - Construction/scheme delivery