First Coventry Very Light Rail routes could begin by 2027 after residents praise initial tests

The first Very Light Rail (VLR) route in Coventry could be running as soon as 2027 after initial tests last month were praised by residents.  

Cllr Jim O’Boyle from Coventry City Council has hailed the project as a “cost-effective” alternative method of transport which will give the people of Coventry “a choice in how they travel” around Coventry, while also promoting growth of the city.

The councillor, who also acts as the Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration, and Climate Change, is spearheading the VLR project, which is using new technology to offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly tramway that does not require overhead wires.

Trials of the new technology have recently taken place on Queen Victoria Road and Greyfriars Road in Coventry, allowing citizens to have test rides and give their feedback on the project.

This test route will eventually form part of a larger route running through the city.

The council have hailed the trial as a success with Cllr O’Boyle saying that the council will “aim to have a track system” in place in the coming years, with the first route in operation by 2027

Coventry citizens who have tested the technology in the trials have given largely positive feedback, with one disabled woman telling the BBC that she loved that “everything is smooth and level [with] plenty of space to move around”. Another resident said that the short trial gave him a “smooth” journey with “decent acceleration”.

Some locals, speaking to Coventry Live, were not so complimentary about the project however, with complaints often expressed about how the project will be financed. One resident speaking to Coventry Live, for example, branded the route as “a totally unnecessary project that has zero advantages for Coventry citizens”.

Nevertheless, the council have hailed the trial as a success with Cllr O’Boyle saying that the council will “aim to have a track system” in place in the coming years, with the first route in operation by 2027.

In the future, there are also plans to expand the project to further areas in and around the city, including the University of Warwick and Ansty Park

VLRs offer cities like Coventry with a cheaper alternative to other transport options, with engineers only required to dig thirty centimetres into roadways compared to the one metre needed for traditional trams.

This explains partially why they are so much cheaper and also faster to install, with this process taking as little as eight weeks.

The Department for Transport has supported the project with £12 million of funding in order to expand the track from Coventry Station to Coventry University Technology Park.

This means that the vehicle can be demonstrated “in a real life environment”, according to Cllr O’Boyle. The plan is for this phase to be completed by December of next year.

In the future, there are also plans to expand the project to further areas in and around the city, including the University of Warwick and Ansty Park.

Cllr O’Boyle said however that further extensions would require more funding, with the council aiming to seek private investment once the effectiveness of the service has been proven.

Jobs and growth will reportedly both be supported and stimulated by the system’s expansion. The vehicles and track can be manufactured in the city, with the council also looking to eventually expand the tracks into “growth areas” for business, such as the Coventry Gigafactory.