Coventry Very Light Rail vehicle

The Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) vehicle has been designed to meet the transport needs of Coventry and similarly-sized cities, while boosting jobs and investment in Coventry, the region and around the UK.

A key motivation for the project is to make urban light rail more affordable to install, making it more widely available throughout the UK and internationally.

This page sets out the key features and motivations behind the CVLR vehicle.

Fighting climate change and addressing air quality

As part of our climate change and transport strategies, we are working to provide options for public transport that fight climate change and address air quality.

The CVLR vehicle is battery-powered, meaning it is zero emission at point of use. In addition, its use of regenerative brakes minimises brake dust and its use of steel wheels on steel track means tyre dust is eliminated.

By providing an attractive alternative to the car, CVLR can significantly improve Coventry’s air quality.

The CVLR vehicle’s regenerative brake system is a collaboration with AP Racing, a Coventry-based company.

Less disruption for businesses and residents

Most trams currently on the market require the city around them to change during installation. A key goal of the CVLR project has been to create a vehicle that can run on existing roads, minimising the need for demolition and compulsory purchases.

Two key features help the vehicle achieve this – its innovative turning mechanism, known as its ‘bogey’, and its on-board battery.

The Council tasked WMG at the University of Warwick and Transport Design International to create a new kind of bogey that allows the CVLR vehicle to turn 15 metre radius curves. The vehicle has been shown to achieve this at the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley, while remaining extremely quiet.

The CVLR vehicle’s ability to turn 15-metre radius curves means that in most places, track could be laid in the existing road, minimising the need to change road layouts. And because the CVLR vehicle is battery-powered, it doesn’t need overhead infrastructure along the main route. This will reduce installation costs and reduce the visual impact of the system.

Instead of overhead power, the CVLR vehicle will take advantage of ‘opportunity charging’. At key sites along routes, the vehicle can make a short stop to recharge a small amount using an overhead electric charger, extending its battery life.

Investing in Coventry and the West Midlands

Many tram systems throughout the UK use trams that have been imported from outside the UK. The Council identified the production of CVLR vehicles as a key opportunity to invest in industry in Coventry, the West Midlands and the wider UK.

The CVLR vehicle was developed in collaboration with WMG at the University of Warwick. It was manufactured in Coventry at NP Aerospace, and it is being tested at the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley.

44% of the money spent on materials and components was spent in the Midlands, with 28% spent in the rest of the UK.

Lower operating costs

Operating costs are a significant proportion of ticket prices for passengers. This can make providing passenger services difficult in places without high population density.

The Council has been working with WMG at the University of Warwick on plans to integrate autonomous operation technology into the CVLR vehicle.

The Council is also pushing the Government to legislate for autonomous operation of light rail, and to provide a framework to local authorities on what testing of these systems is required.

Researchers from the University of Warwick believe that introducing autonomy in a rail-based system such as CVLR will be simpler than introducing autonomy in cars, because it will be restricted to the rails and the environment can be mapped.