First VLR route could be running by 2027

Councillor Jim O'Boyle said VLR was a "cost-effective" alternative to other transport

The first Very Light Rail (VLR) route in Coventry could be running by 2027, a councillor has said.

A 220m (725ft) trial track of the new technology welcomed its first members of the public for a special test ride on Queen Victoria Road in the city centre on Thursday.

Councillor Jim O'Boyle, from Coventry City Council, said VLR was a "cost-effective" alternative to other transport that could make a difference to local people.

He told the BBC the Department for Transport (DfT) had released a further £12m of funding, in order to extend the current test track out towards the technology park in Parkside.

The battery-operated trams were developed in the Black Country

"Eventually this will form part of a route," O'Boyle said of the test track.

"Because we've already identified four routes in the city from the hospital, from the university, from the investment zone, up at Coventry Airport and of course the wider urban extension out on the A45," he explained.

The VLR system uses lightweight battery-operated cars and has been billed as a cheaper and faster-to-build alternative to traditional trams.

O'Boyle said extending the route out even further would require further investment and once the service had been proven, the authority would be looking for private investment in the system.

"Fortunately, the Department for Transport last week released a further £12m of money in order to take the demonstrator track out towards the Parkside area of the city," he said.

"And that means we can then further demonstrate how the vehicle works in a real-life environment and eventually we aim to have a track system... in the city, the first route by 2027."

"Everyone knows and you'll see it, that it actually works," he said.

Passengers who rode the test track after booking free tickets from the city council said it could prove to be a great way to get around the Coventry.

One man told the BBC it was a "very short trial" but he had enjoyed it, adding it was a "smooth" journey with "decent acceleration".

"I have a disability so I love the fact that everything's smooth and level and plenty of space to move around," another woman said.