Coventry City Council – Supplementary written evidence (TTS0065)

 

I am writing to thank you and the Built Environment Committee for meeting my officers recently in Coventry. I was disappointed to be unable to attend, although I am assured that the visit went well. I hope the visit stimulated ideas and identified opportunities for developing transport innovation which you can incorporate into your report to Government.

 

In Coventry we have bold ambitions to raise the life chances for our residents by reducing inequalities and improving economic outcomes. The Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) programme presents a genuine opportunity for British design and manufacturing to lead the way in revolutionising local transport systems contributing to job creation and sustainable travel for all.

 

As discussed with the Built Environment Committee CVLR has several hurdles to overcome to achieve the vision we have outlined. We welcome the keen interest of the Committee in CVLR and its benefits to the British economy and the government’s net zero targets.

 

We would welcome the Committee’s support on the CVLR programme by:

 

 

 

 

Within the accompanying briefing note you will find further details of these challenges CVLR is required to overcome for the benefits to public transit systems and British manufacturing to be realised.

 

During your visit we also discussed some of the issues we face as a local authority in bringing transport schemes forward under the current system within which we operate. As well as the barriers we face in delivering an innovative project in CVLR, we are also faced with a fragmented, siloed, funding system that requires significant resource in putting together business cases to secure the required funding.

One recent example is the £8.6 million Binley Cycle Route, linking the city centre with the Hospital, which is being funded from three different sources, all of which are being channelled from DfT through the WMCA. This has required three separate business cases to be developed to satisfy the monitoring needs of the teams responsible for each funding stream, resulting in an inefficient duplication of effort. Fortunately, the scheme is being constructed through our in- house team, otherwise we would have been faced with a complex, and inefficient, procurement process.

 

My Officers touched upon several other subjects as well, and they would be happy to provide further information on these to assist the Committee’s deliberations.


We welcome any further opportunities for dialogue with you and the Committee on CVLR and the other topics discussed.

 

Your sincerely,

 

 

Councillor Jim O'Boyle

Cabinet Member Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change


Briefing Paper on Coventry Very Light Rail

1.    Background

Image previewCoventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) is an emerging and exciting initiative being spearheaded by Coventry City Council. It is a Research & Development project using the latest automotive expertise developed in Coventry and the wider West Midlands to deliver an innovative and affordable new mass transit solution for enhanced urban connectivity. CVLR will fill a gap in the public transport market that will integrate with buses and other modes to create a seamless door to door experience.

The initiative led by Coventry City Council in partnership with Dudley Council, Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) at the University of Warwick and Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation (BCIMO).

Our growing towns and cities need environmentally and financially sustainable integrated mass transit transport systems capable of supporting urban and economic development; increasing social mobility and inclusivity; helping to improve air quality; and decarbonise transport. VLR will provide a solution that is comfortable, efficient, reliable and low-cost. The concept includes a lightweight, self-propelled and battery- powered vehicle, and will run on a novel track designed to sit just 300mm inside the road surface, reducing the impact on utilities and saving millions of pounds ‘lost’ in the process of relocating gas, electrical, telecommunication systems, and other associated under-street apparatus. These innovations combined will make urban VLR considerably cheaper to install and operate over a lifecycle of many decades.

Traditional light rail schemes can cost upwards of £25 million per km in a favourable environment, while in some city centre locations they can cost significantly more, from £50 million to £100 million per km. CVLR aims to deliver all of the benefits of a modern light rail solution, but at a fraction of the cost – providing a genuine and attractive alternative to private motoring, and helping to improve air quality and reduce

congestion. Not only will Coventry benefit from this emerging approach, but there are many further opportunities for deployment in towns and cities across the UK, with a market potential of £2.3bn/year by 2040 (as well as a strong potential export market). This would enable a step-change in clean, green transport.

Light rail has a proven track record in getting people out of their cars alongside promoting active travel, with successful expansion and renewal projects over the last decade across all of the UK’s current systems to cater for increased demand. In April 2011, Nottingham City Council reported that around 30% of users changing travel behaviour by moving from car to Nottingham Express Transit, while in Manchester, the findings of TfGM travel pattern surveys suggests that 34% of users drive their vehicle less often as a result of the Greater Manchester Metrolink.

CVLR will also meet the objectives set out in the Government’s vision for Levelling-Up communities and tackling regional inequality. The project is heavily focused on supporting UK Industrial Capability and the West Midlands Industrial Strategy by maximising local content within the vehicle and track, supporting suppliers, SMEs, and creating jobs.

2.    Funding and CRSTS Business Case

Initial funding for Coventry VLR was received in 2017 from the Local Growth Fund through Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Devolution Deal.

In the 2021 Autumn Budget, the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) allocation of £1.05bn for the West Midlands provided Coventry with an opportunity to bid for funding for CVLR. We have been working with Mayor Andy Street, WMCA and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) to secure funding to enable us to proceed to the next stage of realising the project. As requested by the Secretary of State for Transport, the WMCA submitted in January 2022 a prioritised transport investment pipeline. This led to

£54m being awarded to the CVLR project to deliver a city centre demonstrator and development of the first route. As the cost of CVLR exceeds £50m, CVLR is a retained scheme and the Department for Transport has put forward a sponsor for the project.

Given CVLR is an R&D project, it needs to be treated differently to other transport schemes. It promises to deliver an affordable new mode which will enhance the UK’s public transport offer. We hope it will be possible to fast-track the assessment of our business case in the interests of getting CVLR to Proof of Concept as quickly as possible, and to ensure we maintain our ambition to install a city centre demonstrator of CVLR technology by the end of 2023. This will provide a much needed boost to British manufacturing and provide a deliverable blueprint for other local conurbations to benefit from procuring CVLR for their local transport infrastructure.

 

3.    Asks of Government

CVLR has the potential to transform urban transport provision in towns and cities across the UK, enabling the next generation of clean, green transport.

Given the benefit from this emerging approach, we are calling on the Government to facilitate a High Level Inter-Departmental VLR Working Group to address the barriers that potentially stand in the way of VLR as an essential component of public transport provision, so we can quickly realise the potential of this innovation.

 

Currently the time between inception and an introduction to passenger service would run to many years. If the Government is to achieve its ambitions around developing infrastructure, decarbonising transport, and levelling up, then this process will need to be accelerated.

There needs to be consideration of the legislative and planning hurdles relating to the installation of light rail infrastructure. Specifically, we know we will need to accelerate and streamline Transport and Works Act 1992 orders. These orders are out-dated, complex, protracted and costly. We are considering how to improve and streamline them, and will seek to engage the DfT’s Project SPEED and Acceleration Units.

We also require focus on legislation to enable autonomous VLR operation. Great strides have been made by existing Government-funded R&D projects for Connected Autonomous Vehicles in recent years, and advances in light rail autonomy are already in passenger service in Europe and elsewhere. However, with expenditure on operators making up 30-50% of the total day-to-day costs, the economic model for CVLR stands up most strongly with autonomous operation; this would also enable a frequent “turn up and go” metro-style service, which is most attractive to the public in terms of flexibility and modal shift away from private motoring.

The LRT sector both in the UK and overseas have recognised the potential of CVLR, and UKTram has established a VLR Working Party to ensure the sector is doing everything possible to realise the opportunities. We urge Government to establish a parallel group of officials and agencies to urgently drive this policy forward for UK transport innovation and manufacturing

4.    Profile

In recent months, CVLR has benefitted from extensive political, media and stakeholder interest.

Government build back greener”.

5.    Next Steps

The progress we have made with Coventry VLR is testament to the hard work of our researchers, innovators and engineers, and the skills we have across the West Midlands. We have demonstrated the potential for British job creation and enhanced opportunities for local people as we lead the Green Industrial Revolution. CVLR will enable our city and region to spearhead the zero-carbon revolution.

Our ambition is a sign of our confidence in the viability of CVLR and our commitment to achieving Proof of Concept. This will be critical to generating commercial interest at home and internationally, as well as boosting our manufacturing and innovation credentials. A number of other towns and cities have shown a keen interest in CVLR, as well as authorities from overseas.

We anticipate further engagement once we progress the R&D to an operational stage.

In Coventry, our ultimate goal is to have a network of routes that connect strategic locations (employment

zones such as JLR, the West Midlands Gigafactory, Ansty Business Park and the University of Warwick) with the city centre. There is also an ambition for connectivity to the future HS2 interchange.

CVLR will increasingly form an essential component of our public transport provision, improving connectivity, contributing to sustainable growth, whilst decarbonising our transport network. We urge the Government to do everything possible to move quickly to translate our vision and ambition into a reality for the benefit of our city, the UK and beyond.

6.    Support from the House of Lords Built Environment Committee

We welcome the support offered by the House of Lords Built Environment Committee during their visit to Coventry on Monday 23rd May 2022. As discussed during the visit we ask the Committee to consider how they can support the CVLR work by:

CVLR offers the Built Environment Committee support in its ongoing work and would welcome further dialogue to support this important agenda.

 

Appendix 1: Stakeholder views on Coventry VLR

 

“The opportunity it presents as an affordable and deliverable rail-based transport solution to operate together with the Midland Metro system is an exciting one. The transport network in Coventry has seen a number of improvements in recent years and the introduction of VLR to the city will continue to boost the economy by offering a new mode of sustainable travel and improve air quality.”

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands

 

 

“Urban VLR has the potential to bring environmental and economic benefits to our city, as well as realising a reduction in congestion once operational. There are elements of the system that have particular appeal for our city. For example, Very Light Rail, which is propelled by a battery, has the additional benefit of not requiring visually intrusive (and expensive) Overhead Line Equipment (OLE) which conventional light rail trams require. In addition, urban VLR is being designed to be capable of cornering tight curves, which traditional light rail cannot achieve. Furthermore, as a result of its permanence, rail infrastructure encourages economic development along the route including residential, commercial and industrial. The permanence of the track also instils public confidence in the system, which often results in significant modal shift.”

Paula Deas, Deputy CEO, Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership

 

 

“The region will be at the forefront of developing innovative R&D capability for light rapid transit, which can be exported to other areas of the UK and abroad. Now that Brexit has happened and with climate

change remaining high on the agenda, it’s critical that the UK develops new technologies which will enable the UK to deliver tangible solutions to address air quality whilst simultaneously creating jobs and supporting the West Midlands Industrial Strategy.”

Rich Bishop, Regional Chair, FSB West Midlands

 

 

“TfWM are currently working in close partnership with Coventry City Council (CCC), Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (DMBC) and WMG on the VLR project. The Coventry vehicle prototype will use the 2.2km Network Rail ballasted test track at the Dudley centre for endurance testing, speed trials and brake tests. Once the VLR system is proved out in Dudley, VLR has the potential to remove the barriers currently limiting the number of rapid transit schemes put forward in the UK and will complement the wider package of WMCA measures being developed to support the Future Mobility Programme.”

Laura Shoaf, Managing Director, Transport for West Midlands (now Chief Executive of WMCA)

 

 

“UHCW is proud that the initial route will stop within the grounds of University Hospital providing a much needed sustainable alternative for staff, patients and visitors to the Hospital. The current transport solutions available to access the hospital mostly involve fossil fuelled vehicle; which in turn adds to reduced air quality. That reduced air quality has an impact on health and the Trust in line with its healthy travel plans wants to see new healthy travel modes to access healthcare services.”

Professor Andrew Hardy, Chief Executive, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

 

 

“In recognition of the benefits VLR could bring to West Midlands recovery and growth through innovation, we are engaging with both the Coventry Team and Dudley Teams and are keen to collaborate with the programme to support its progress.”

Dr Pam Waddell, Director, Innovation Alliance for the West Midlands

 

 

“Whilst several major systems have been introduced in this country, there is a perception that light rail systems are expensive and so unaffordable to all but the largest city regions. LRTA, therefore, welcomes the move towards finding lighter and lower cost systems that will enable smaller cities and towns to reap the benefit of fixed track public transport. Although small rail vehicles have been operating effectively and reliably at Stourbridge for some years, there needs to be a demonstration of VLR capabilities on a larger scale and the Coventry VLR project will show that the technology can provide high quality public transport on an urban scale. VLR is still a young and rapidly developing field and the setting up of the National Innovation Centre at Dudley is crucial for stimulating and testing further development. This is a promising field for British engineering and has the potential to lead to new industrial development in manufacturing and support not only for a growing domestic market but also for a new export market.”

James Harkins, Chairman External Relations Group, Light Rail Transit Association

 

 

“Bikal Technologies are strongly supportive of the collaborative Very Light Rail projects, as not only will they deliver an affordable, rail based transport solution for smaller cities and towns, they will mobilise a new manufacturing sector in the West Midlands, creating high value training and job opportunities associated with design, construction and information technology. The region will be at the forefront of developing innovative R&D capability for light rapid transit, which can be exported to other areas of the UK and abroad.”

Mr Raj Sandhu, Managing Director, Bikal Technologies, Coventry

 

 

“It is our firm belief that the future prosperity of the city centre us dependent in reducing the reliance on the motor car. Whilst safer cycle routes and more attractive pedestrian links are now important, the city will not become truly sustainable until it has a quality public transport system. VLR is a major opportunity that should be grasped now for our smaller cities and we believe that a pilot in Coventry will be a huge leap forward for the city.”

Ian Harrabin, Managing Director, Complex Development Projects

 

 

“SEGRO supports the development of Coventry Very Light Rail (VLR). As developers of the 400 acre SEGRO Park, Coventry Gateway industrial park and promoters of the 500 acre mixed use Walsgrave Hill scheme, adjacent to University Hospital, we would welcome a new sustainable and innovative public

transport system.”

 

 

Charles Blake, Senior Development Director, SEGRO

 

 

“VLR has the genuine potential to provide an enduring solution to rail based travel within urban areas, which will meet the issues of sustainable travel going towards the middle of the 21st century. The full weight of the Government and the innovation of the private sector should be brought to bear to bring this project to a successful and exciting conclusion.”

Robin Butler, Managing Director, Urban & Civic

 


 

Appendix 2: Decarbonising Transport, Department of Transport, July 2021


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