Arup and Tony Gee collaboration to deliver next phase of Coventry Very Light Rail

The CVLR programme aims to demonstrate a rail-based public transport option at less than half the cost and in half the time of conventional light rail systems, while providing similar benefits to passengers. 

The CVLR system features a lightweight, battery-powered vehicle designed without overhead wires, as well as a shallow trackform installed just 30cm beneath the road surface. This approach reduces the need to divert utilities and is intended to lower installation time and cost.  

The demonstrator route will also support the development of future routes by supplying data on constructability, installation methods and operational performance and contribute to the business case for Coventry’s first commercial CVLR route.

The wider CVLR programme is expected to support improvements to air quality, reduce congestion, and increase access to jobs and education, while offering an affordable and accessible transport alternative. The collaboration will enable progress in detailed design work across civil engineering, track, systems integration and urban realm interfaces. 

Paul Stephens, Project Director and Associate Director at Arup UKIMEA, said: “Arup’s work on the demonstrator route offers a valuable testbed for understanding how innovative transport technology performs within a complex city centre environment.

“Through our collaboration with Tony Gee and Coventry City Council, we are combining multidisciplinary strengths to accomplish an operational system that functions effectively within the city’s existing infrastructure and presents the evidence required for future expansion.”

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, said: “By approving this next and longer demonstrator route for Coventry Very Light Rail, we have taken a decisive step toward transforming how people move around our city. This is a bold investment in cleaner, smarter and more sustainable transport, and it shows our commitment to delivering real change for residents and businesses.

“The route to Coventry University’s Technology Park will allow us to showcase the benefits of CVLR in a live environment, proving how this innovative system can be delivered quickly, affordably and with minimal disruption. It’s an exciting moment for Coventry, and brings us significantly closer to a transport network that reflects the ambition and ingenuity of our city.”

David Lea, Tony Gee Project Director and Associate Director for Birmingham, said: “We are privileged to be part of a project which represents a major step forward in sustainable urban transport, and we’re proud to support a solution that will bring cleaner, smarter, and more efficient mobility to the city. Working collaboratively with our partners Arup and Coventry City Council, we’re committed to helping deliver a system that sets a new benchmark for innovation in the UK transport sector.”

The demonstrator route is funded through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and is scheduled for completion by Summer 2027.