Mayor and Minister visit Coventry as part of Better Transport Week

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, have been in Coventry to view the city’s Very Light Rail project - an innovative project to create a highly affordable, accessible and sustainable rail-based travel system.

Very Light Rail (VLR) is a project designed and developed here in the West Midlands to deliver a mass-transit system that can be built at less than half the cost and in half the time of conventional tram systems, while providing the same benefits. 

A 220-metre city-centre demonstrator track, to assess the new tram system in a real world setting, was laid in a few weeks and has been giving free rides for the past month.

The scheme is led by Coventry City Council and funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement.

Partners in the development of the new technology include WMG at Warwick University and the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre at BCIMO in Dudley.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: "This is a proud moment for the West Midlands, demonstrating our global leadership in transport innovation.

“This successful trial of our cutting-edge tram technology, designed and developed right here in the region, paves the way for the quick delivery of a network in Coventry and has the potential to revolutionise public transport for millions worldwide."

The minister’s visit is part of Better Transport Week, an annual celebration of how better transport can help connect communities and bring people together. This year’s event, which is organised by Campaign for Better Transport, runs from  June 16 to 22 and is being funded by the UK Government.

Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood said: “Coventry’s Very Light Rail project shows how innovative approaches to transport ideas can drive growth, create high-skilled jobs, and breathe new life into our towns and cities.

“Better Transport Week highlights how government backing is transforming transport, helping local economies thrive, supporting jobs, and connecting people to opportunity – all part of delivering our Plan for Change.”

Ben Plowden, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, added: “Good public transport networks help connect us to the people we love, the things we need and the places that matter.

“Tram and light rail networks are key to an accessible, affordable, integrated and green public transport network. That’s why we’re delighted to be celebrating Better Transport Week here in Coventry, a city with a rich transport history and one which continues to innovate helping build a brighter transport future for its residents.”

Cllr Jim O'Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration, and climate change at Coventry City Council, said: “There is no better place to celebrate Better Transport Week than in Coventry, where our innovation and manufacturing skills have enabled us to create a new very light rail system that has the potential to change how people move around small to medium sized cities. We are pleased to welcome Simon Lightwood so we can show him not only how brilliantly it works, but also to talk about the potential – that’s what is really exciting.

“The feedback from the public and technical representatives has been incredible. We aren’t just piloting technology; we are building confidence in a scalable model that puts climate, community, and cost-effectiveness at the heart of urban mobility.

“This system will create jobs for local people and this is just the beginning of our plans to put Coventry Very Light Rail at the heart of the growing green economy here in Coventry.”

Better Transport Week brings together the transport industry, national and local government, business, NGOs and passenger groups to celebrate how transport can keep people connected.

Get involved with Better Transport Week on social media using #bettertransportweek or visit bettertransportweek.org.uk for more information.