Coventry City Council are to approve the construction of another Very Light Rail demonstration line, with a new 800-metre twin track line to be built as part of the Coventry’s ambition to create a new type of transport that has the potential to revolutionise the way people ca travel around medium-sized cities.
The demonstration line will run between Coventry Railway Station and Coventry University Technology Park on Mile Lane. It will run in both directions (the previous demonstration line was just single track) and in live traffic.
This marks an important step in the project and comes after the huge success with the original demonstration which took place earlier in 2025 where thousands of locals and experts enjoyed a ride on the VLR vehicle.
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, said: “Coventry Very Light Rail is pioneering transport innovation. It is a cost-effective and efficient alternative to conventional tram systems and we have proven it can be delivered at less than half the cost and in half the time.
“We are on to a real transport game changer here. It will be good for the environment, have no unsightly overhead cables and in the future, it has the potential to be autonomous – offering a hop on and hop off service. What’s more I think everyone that saw it here, and rode it, can agree that it looked great in the street and gave a quiet and smooth ride. I’m looking forward to seeing it back and providing the chance for even more people to have a go on it.”
No timescales have yet been given of when the new line will be built.
Ultimately, Coventry hope to have a 12km route around the city. This would start with a line from the railway station to the West Midlands Investment zone centred on GreenPower Park. There would be a route going to Pool Meadow Bus Station which would connect people with healthcare, education and leisure facilities, as well as providing a vital transport link to employment opportunities.
The original demonstrator line was built in just eight weeks, a lot faster than conventional tramways. Following the end of the test running, utility companies were also shown how simple and quick it is to access cables and pipes under the track.
The VLR vehicle which was used moved away from Coventry after those test runs for further development ahead of the next stage of the project.