Coventry Very Light Rail
Earlier this year, Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) vehicle was tested in the City Centre.
Lots of people have been asking why we should have a VLR vehicle. That’s easy to answer – it’s a new, affordable, rail-based travel system that can be delivered in less time and at less than half the cost of traditional tram systems.
Our ground-breaking track means it goes down fast, 220m was laid in the city in just eight weeks. And it can take really tight corners – providing a new option for smaller sized cities like Coventry.
CVLR has sparked interest from across the globe, and it will provide a further public transport option in Coventry. In the future it could even be autonomous, a hop on, hop off option for people.
During the trial period, thousands of people booked onto the rides and we received some important feedback.
Similar to the cycleways, the funding for CVLR has come from government grants. However, there is wider economic potential for CVLR. It was born out of the innovation and manufacturing skills base of the city and it will be the only tram to be built in the UK with a supply chain that will create and support jobs for local people. The Council owns the intellectual property rights to the vehicle and track form. This means we can sell the vehicle to other cities around the world.
Lastly, the vehicle has a number of innovations which make it significantly better than other systems like the Birmingham Metro. Here’s a quick explainer video outlining the differences.
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