Category Archives: Very Light Rail

Hopes that passengers may be carried on Coventry’s Very Light Rail (VLR) scheme in 2025 seem to have been dashed after reports that the Department for Transport rejected a bid for funding. The news of the funding rejection comes following … Continue reading →

Huw Merriman, Minister of State for Rail and HS2, recently visited the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley as he got a taste of what the future of light rail transport looks like.

Three new battery-only Revolution Very Light Rail Vehicles (RVLR) are to be built as part of the continued look at companies across the UK at ways of making rail travel cleaner. Eversholt Rail are providing the funding of the vehicles … Continue reading →

Most of the time when we report about the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre (VLRIC) in Dudley its because another West Midlands Metro tram has gone there for repairs but it shouldn’t be forgotten that the facility was actually built … Continue reading →

The Campaign for Better Transport have recently run a “Better Transport Week”, calling for improvements to the UK’s public transport system. As part of this they hosted a Light Rail summit a the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre, Dudley where … Continue reading →

The public will get their first chance to see the future of public transport in Coventry at the MotoFest event with the Coventry Very Light Rail vehicle, simulator and first track all set to be on display. The MotoFest celebrations … Continue reading →

A short section of the unique track system being developed for the Coventry Very Light Rail scheme has been installed at Coventry City Council’s Whitley Depot. This is said to be a significant step forward for the project and the … Continue reading →

The West Midlands Combined Authority have agreed to release the first instalment of what could eventually amount to £72 million worth of funding towards the Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) system. Much of the funding will go towards building a … Continue reading →

The Coventry Very Light Rail project has taken a major step forward with a real-world demo site launched for its light rail track system. The site is based at WMG, University of Warwick and will show what is to come … Continue reading →

Its been a while since we last took a look at the Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley but we remedy that in this article as we see the site (in the snow!) with plenty of construction progress having been … Continue reading →

A new design of track – described as a breakthrough design – has been unveiled for use on the Coventry Very Light Rail scheme with the aim of driving down costs associated with the installation of urban light rail. Coventry … Continue reading →

While a lot of out attention for light rai in the West Midlands is concentrated on the West Midlands Metro there is also another ongoing project – Very Light Rail. This is a project with multiple parts, the biggest of … Continue reading →

The test track for the Very Light Rail project in Dudley has been completed in a major milestone for the programme, with the first of Coventry VLR prototype vehicles due to be tested later in 2021. The test track is … Continue reading →

Very Light Rail in the West Midlands looks set to be on track for success after the confirmation of government funding for both the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre in Dudley and the Very Light Rail project in Coventry. The … Continue reading →

At the end of last year we reported on the Very Light Rail plans which it is hoped will provide a cheaper and more energy efficient option for public transport across the UK. The brainchild of various academics with support … Continue reading →