UKTram visit gives operators closer look at Coventry Very Light Rail track innovation

Light rail representatives have visited Coventry to see the installation of a new track system being developed as part of the Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) programme. The visit, promoted by UKTram, gave representatives from light rail networks an opportunity to see the CVLR track being installed at Mile Lane and hear directly from the team responsible for its development. 

The track has been designed as a shallower alternative to traditional track systems, with the potential to reduce the depth of excavation required when installing new track in urban environments, offering both cost and timescale savings.

During the visit, Dr Christopher Micallef gave attendees an overview of the track design's development, before Hamish Falconer led a tour of the site where installation work was taking place. 

Representatives from the West Midlands, South Yorkshire and Nottingham attended, providing an opportunity to discuss the design, installation process and potential applications for the technology across different light rail environments.

The visit followed an invitation from the CVLR team, while construction activity at Mile Lane gave industry colleagues the chance to see the infrastructure before the next stages of work were completed. 

Tim Bilby, Stakeholder and Innovation Manager at UKTram, who helped coordinate the visit, said:

“The discussions in Coventry were really useful, particularly because we had representatives from several systems able to share their own operational and infrastructure perspectives. 

“The technology is potentially game-changing for track installation, and an important next step will be understanding how the track performs within an operational tramway environment.” 

The Coventry Very Light Rail programme has been developing the track system to explore whether shallower track construction could provide an alternative to conventional approaches in certain urban environments, avoiding the well-known issues with buried utilities.

Potential applications discussed during the visit included new-build schemes and replacing life-expired track infrastructure.

For UKTram, the visit formed part of its work to help the sector share knowledge about emerging technologies and innovation, giving operators and other industry organisations opportunities to examine new approaches and consider their potential application. 

UKTram would like to thank Nicola Small, Stuart Haden, Dr Christopher Micallef, Hamish Falconer and the wider CVLR team for hosting the visit.