A national charity that campaigns for better public transport has backed the Coventry Very Light Rail scheme as a game-changer for cities across the country.
Councillor Jim O’Boyle hosted Norman Baker, former Transport Minister and Director of External Affairs for Campaign for Better Transport, at the Council’s Friargate offices for talks on the innovative transport scheme.
Councillor O’Boyle highlighted the cross-party support that the scheme has gained and its potential to drive down installation costs for light rail schemes, making them more affordable to install.
Campaign for Better Transport’s Norman Baker offered the support of the charity in ensuring Coventry Very Light Rail secures the investment needed to take it over the line and deliver a first route in Coventry.
Councillor O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, said: “We were delighted to host Norman today, who brings an incredible depth of experience to Campaign for Better Transport and offered his support for the Coventry Very Light Rail. We’re looking forward to working with Campaign for Better Transport to continue to advocate for this incredible project.
“Of course, we also highlighted a number of our other transport schemes which put Coventry at the forefront of the green industrial revolution. Not only have we installed more electric vehicle charge points than anywhere outside London, but we’ll also be the UK’s first all-electric bus city by 2025 and are working hard to finalise first-class segregated cycle highways to give people as much choice as possible as they move about our city.”
Norman Baker, Director of External Affairs at Campaign for Better Transport, said: “It was exciting to hear more about the innovative work being done in Coventry, especially on Coventry Very Light Rail. This system is a game-changer, offering the chance to even more cities – not just in the UK – to install high quality, convenient and importantly green light rail systems.
“We’re delighted to be backing Coventry Very Light Rail and will be making the case for continued government investment in the scheme.”
Pioneering world firsts, the Coventry Very Light Rail vehicle and track have been designed to meet the transport needs of Coventry and cities across the UK.
The vehicle is battery-powered, eliminating the need for overhead wires. It has an innovative turning system allowing it to handle 15m radius curves, meaning it can be installed in tight corners in the existing highway. The vehicle has a capacity of 56 and has been developed to allow autonomous operation in the 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 taking advantage of cutting-edge materials science, while still making use of standard rail parts to ensure ease of manufacturing.