Light rail plans review before funding agreed

Coventry's Very Light Rail has been tested by engineers at a facility in Dudley

Experts will review plans to put a light rail system on Coventry's streets, before funding for a city centre track is agreed.

Government officials have yet to approve money for a demonstrator track - as part of the Very Light Rail project - which will test the battery powered vehicle.

They are expected to make a decision on whether to release £16.5m on 24 September, though this is to be confirmed.

Before their decision, the scheme will be examined by an independent review panel. The project's bid for £37m of funding from the government was not approved last year. Instead the Department for Transport agreed it would go ahead as a research and development project.

It comes seven years after the scheme for an "affordable" light rail system was first put forward by the council.

Being a research and development project means money is released in stages after evidence is presented. 

So far, funding for stages one and two has been granted, totalling some £15m, according to the report for a council scrutiny meeting on Wednesday.

Very Light Rail has been described as a battery-powered, zero-emission tram system

Stage three is for a 800m (2,624ft) demonstrator track including research.

If funding is agreed, the route will go from Coventry's rail station to Pool Meadow bus station.

Stage four is a business case for the first "commercial" line of the light rail and would seek £8.5m of funding.

Work on a short section of the city demonstrator track is planned to start early next year, the report said.

A planning application for the overall route was put forward in February and will expire at the end of the month.

Councillors in the Labour-run council's cabinet will be asked for approval on the plans and a contract for the test track this autumn.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.