Coventry's new tram scheme moves forward as first route work begins
Funding news is expected soon for the Very Light Rail project
Coventry City Council says it is starting to develop the first route for its Very Light Rail (VLR) scheme and will soon get news on funding for the project.
The cutting-edge tram will run on a shallow track just 1ft deep that minimises the need to move underground pipes and cables.
It is designed to be an affordable rail-based travel system that can be delivered “at less than half the cost and in half the time of conventional light rail systems, while providing the same benefits,” the council says.
The £189m project has developed a new vehicle and track which aims to provide “a reliable, frequent, environmentally friendly, hop-on, hop-off service in the city.” The vehicle is battery-powered, eliminating the need for overhead wires, and can accommodate 56 passengers.
Plans were unveiled in June for a depot, cabins and temporary passenger platforms on Coventry University land in Mile Lane along with the installation of 87m of VLR track.
This is part of the Coventry VLR City Centre Demonstrator Line, which the council hopes will be up and running by October 2027.
The application said: “Passengers would board at a tram stop on Park Road (by Coventry Train Station) with an option to board/ alight at an on-street Mile Lane passenger platform to access the University Technology Centre before continuing to the university terminus, located within Coventry University’s Mile Lane car park.
“Whilst passengers would be able to disembark at the terminus for information, they would not be able to leave the compound and would re-board to return to Park Road.”
This week, the VLR was named as one of the key 2026/2027 priorities for the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, Cllr Lynnette Kelly.
Specifically, the aims are to complete the next section of the demonstrator track on Mile Lane, continue promoting the project, and start work on a business case for the VLR’s network and route development in Coventry.
Steve Weir, the council’s interim director of economic growth, spoke to the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board about the scheme.
He told members: “Moving on to VLR, you may be familiar with the work that we’re doing on Mile Lane to install the next phase of the demonstrator, where tracks are going in.”
He said the council was hosting a conference called Time for Trams at Coventry University, and was starting to do the work on developing the first route and the business case for the project, with another update due in December.
Cllr Danny Stainton (Reform, Sherbourne) asked: “What level of update are we expected to get in December? Are we going to be able to see full route plan ideas and analysis of what it might look like in the long term?”
Mr Weir responded: “I don’t think it’ll be quite that level of detail. I think what you can expect to see in December when it comes back here is the latest update on the demonstrator, where that has got to and expect to hear what the regional funding settlement is looking like for VLR and the work plan for the business case.
“It will take a considerable amount of work to produce that. I wouldn’t expect you to see it in December, but expect to hear the detail about how that will be prepared and the work that we’ve done, those sorts of things.”