Lower cost VLR track design developed

ENGINEERS working on the Coventry Very Light Rail (VLR) project say their new design of track could be laid for less than half the cost of traditional tram lines. Preparations for conventional track can involve excavations of around one metre in depth and movement of utilities such as gas, electricity and water, but the new track sits just 30cm into the road surfacing, meaning that it can be embedded in an existing highway. The track is the work of WMG (a department of the University of Warwick) and its design partner Rendel, a UK subsidiary of Ingerop. It is estimated it could cost as little as £10 million per kilometre to install, rather than £25 million per kilometre for conventional track, making urban rail a more viable proposition for smaller towns and cities. Design has taken place alongside the development of a battery-powered Coventry VLR vehicle, which will undergo extensive testing at the VLR National Innovation Centre in Dudley. The route of the first phase of Coventry’s VLR system is still to be finalised, although there are hopes it could open in 2025.