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.
| 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 1-2 - Scheme in development Year 3 onwards - Construction/scheme delivery |
| 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 - Scheme in development Year 2 - 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 3-5 - 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 onwards - Construction/scheme delivery |
| 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 1-2 - Scheme in development Year 3 - Construction/scheme delivery |
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| 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 onwards - 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 onwards - Construction/scheme delivery |
| Potential further new railway stations |
Potential further new railway stations at Binley & Willenhall, Coundon, Coventry South and/or Foleshill. Further work is required to determine whether some, or all, of these stations would be viable. |
Partnership with TfWM / West Midlands Rail Executive (WMRE) | TBC depending on how many of the 4 potential sites are considered viable | RNEP |
Years 1-5 - Scheme in development Year 6 onwards - Construction/scheme delivery |
| 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 1-3 - 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 |
| 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 1-2 - Scheme in development Years 3-4 - Construction/scheme delivery |