The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Board have agreed to the first instalment of an expected £72m investment in the emerging VLR technology – designed to be both faster and cheaper to build than traditional tram and rail systems.
The board’s green light will also enable specialist on-site testing for other VLR systems to move forward.
With development already underway in Coventry and Dudley, the West Midlands is at the forefront of VLR and well placed to become a global leader in both design and manufacture.
Using light weight, battery-powered electric vehicles the Coventry VLR system operates without overhead cables and its innovative track is designed to require less extensive foundation works, making installation quicker and less expensive while delivering similar environmental benefits.
Much of the new investment will be used to build a real-world demonstration track in Coventry city center and to develop the business case for a fully operational system.
There will also be further investment in the newly opened Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) in Dudley, enabling the purchase of equipment so that the center can become fully operational.
The funding will also be used to explore the business cases for further VLR lines and links with the existing West Midlands Metro network.
A total of £72m has been earmarked for the project by the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement. The first £36.8m agreed by the board, which is enough to get the projects well underway, will now go to the Department for Transport for final sign off.
Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said, “This funding will allow us to take VLR to the next level – from the workshop to real-world demonstration – and shows the WMCA Board’s unequivocal backing for innovation in Coventry.
“This technology has the potential to deliver tram systems at pace and at much lower cost – giving more people access to a modern rapid transit system as well as cleaner air and less congestion along with it,” Street added.