Coventry's Very Light Rail system set to boost opportunities in UK and abroad
Revolutionary trackbed technology draws international interest
Coventry's innovative Very Light Rail (VLR) system is on track to offer significant economic opportunities both locally and internationally, according to Nicola Small, the VLR programme director.
During a recent meeting of Coventry City Council’s business, economy, and enterprise scrutiny board, Small highlighted the development efforts that have paved the way for the next phase of the project, which will connect Coventry railway station to Coventry University Technology Park.
The upcoming 800-meter route, which will operate amid live traffic along Park Road and Mile Lane, marks a critical milestone for the VLR system.
Small, speaking about her long-term involvement, said, “I have had the privilege of being involved since the beginning so it is great to see things finally happening on site as it has been a lot of work over the past seven or eight years with research and development (R&D) taking place behind closed doors. But what we have demonstrated with our off-site tests is that we have really hit upon something that is game-changing for the UK and in particular for Coventry.”
Coventry City Council owns the intellectual property rights to the system's innovative trackbed, known as the universal slab, which measures just 30cm deep—significantly less than traditional systems like the Midland Metro. This has attracted substantial interest from potential clients both domestically and internationally.
Small said, “We have lots of interest and it is quite difficult to manage that while delivering the programme, We are in conversation with lots of different councils and just last week spoke to a Canadian delegation. We have also spoken to people in Australia and Ireland and are trying to work very closely with South Yorkshire who have a renewals programme which would give us an ideal opportunity to test the universal slab in Sheffield where they have the heaviest tram in the country. We do have buy-in from their chief executive and are currently working with the officers to try and make that happen, hopefully in the next financial year.”
Colin Knight, director of innovation at the city council, emphasized the project's potential for economic gain, stating, “We want this to be an exemplar. This is the concluding part of the R&D stage of the project and we own the majority of the intellectual property rights so there is a great opportunity for the city council to capitalise on this, so we need it to be successful."
Knight highlighted the benefits of the system's minimal disruption during construction compared to conventional tram installations. "You can’t make an omelette without cracking eggs so I am not going to sit here and say there will be no disruption because that is not the case," Knight said. "But what we can do is manage it in a way that is far less damaging than if you were putting a conventional tram in. That is the point to bear in mind.”
While Coventry's VLR system offers exciting possibilities for the city, its groundbreaking technology holds the promise of wider adoption across other areas, both in the UK and globally.