Ken Jones had originally been due to be on one of the first test runs of the Coventry Very Light Rail demonstration but unfortunately extra pre-passenger testing was needed and so those trips were cancelled. However, some extra space was found on the planned final Friday and so Ken managed to get a ride after all and in this article he goes into more detail of the experience.
As most of you know my ticket for the first day of operation on the 220-metre test track in Coventry was cancelled as they needed a couple of extra days before allowing public access, and I couldn’t change my ticket as all new dates filled up. Thanks to a couple of people within the Coventry Organisation they got me a ticket for last Friday afternoon. Such has been the demand they hope to put more dates online before the trial concludes.
So, on Thursday afternoon I got a text saying ticket will follow by email, and it did that evening saying three in my party, and when I arrived in Coventry the people manning the access were expecting three.
Trips were running at half hour slots with some VIP visitors in between. The light rail vehicle does two return trips per visit with passengers. I’d like to thank everyone involved at the site from the function team who allowed me to start a queue so that I could be on first, to the teams from Coventry and Dudley who were on hand to answer questions from the passengers not only from me. The tram reaches 20 – 27 kph on this short trial section, but has reached 40 kph at Dudley.
Since my last visit trenches in the roadway ca be seen which are housing monitors / sensors to collect data and on the inside of each rail are different types of plastic to see which works better.
Once the tram returns to Dudley the street will be opened to transport and the monitors and track continued to be assessed. The next stage would be to build a 800 metre line from the railway station which could open as early as 2027.
So, onto the tram which has a flat floor in the area between the doors and slightly raised area above the wheels. All seats are longitudinal with four on the raised floors. Normally the drivers cab is portioned off but because these trips are short and the driver needs to change ends, the cabs are open and this gives passengers good views of how the driver works and controls the tram. Behind what will be the partition is another longitudinal seat for times when a second person is in the cab for things like driver training or route training.
Unlike the hard Midland Metro, the seats are padded on seats and back giving excellent support. On the side facing away from the station is a wheelchair position, and there was a wheelchair user on my trips so I could see for myself how easily she was able to move around the flat area between the doors to her allocated position.
Although quick charging is via overhead charging point, for this trial they are using cable charging doing this between trips to keep the battery fully charged. Visitors to the tram were given a trifold double-sided leaflet and double-sided card, with stickers saying I Rode Coventry Light Rail.
A postcard giving details of the project. (As handed out to participants with this a photo taken by Ken Jones)
- More photos from these trips will follow in a future British Trams Online update.
In early June I was able to travel on one of the demonstration runs. The vehicle and track provided a very smooth, quiet ride with the vehicle showing impressive acceleration. Whatever our views on how public transport infrastructure should be funded, the reality is that the mainstream (heavy?!) light rail model sits outside most funding parameters. Mainstream light rail will, likely, continue to be seen as a ‘high end’ and high price option.
Coventry VLR seeks a different pitch and – with the prospect of a transport option designed, developed and built in the UK – deserves support; the support of government (national and local), of public transport operators, the general public, the media – and of enthusiasts. Whilst much of the media coverage has been positive (a rarity for a public transport story), I have been saddened by some of the negative carping from enthusiasts. We should all be behind this project.