WMG to put battery-powered rail-based vehicle on track

WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) and Transport Design International are developing a battery-powered rail-based vehicle on behalf of Coventry City Council in the UK. WMG, an academic department at the University of Warwick, is hoping that the 15-passenger very light rail (VLR) will eventually operate without a timetable and allow people to hop on and off. Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, says: “It will be much more affordable to install than traditional trams, take
March 21, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) and Transport Design International are developing a battery-powered rail-based vehicle on behalf of Coventry City Council in the UK.


WMG, an academic department at the University of Warwick, is hoping that the 15-passenger very light rail (VLR) will eventually operate without a timetable and allow people to hop on and off.

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, says: “It will be much more affordable to install than traditional trams, take up far less road space, be able to run alongside traffic and our ultimate aim is that it doesn’t require a driver so it can be a frequent service.”

The government’s Local Growth Fund through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership has contributed £2.46 million towards phase one of the research and design of the prototype. Also, £12.2 million has been secured from the West Midlands Combined Authority Devolution Deal to undertake the R&D required to prove the VLR concept.

WMG says the first design is available to view in 3D via its visualisation suite and the first test vehicle will be manufactured by engineering group RDM by mid-2020.

Transport for West Midlands will provide technical support, advice and guidance to the project team as the scheme develops.

Related Content

  • Mobility pricing offers new tools for managing mobility
    November 23, 2017
    Mobility pricing is the best way of sustaining and enhancing mobility, argues Moving Forward Consulting’s Josef Czako. Mobility pricing (MP) is effectively the culmination of the ‘user pays’ principle and has been referred to in many policy discussions about electronic toll collection, road user charging (RUC), and pricing. MP not only reflects the ‘use more, pay more’ nature of RUC, it also takes account of the external cost of journeys including pollution, noise, the cost of congestion and accidents.
    Read More
  • Shift2Rail launches first calls for projects worth €170 million
    December 18, 2015
    Shift2Rail, the joint undertaking backed by the European Commission and the rail industry, has published its first calls for proposals, with funding of US$184 million to support innovation in railways. The Commission will contribute US$97 million, with the other US$86 million provided by the members of Shift2Rail. In order to receive funding, projects will have to demonstrate their ability to increase the quality, reliability and punctuality of rail services while cutting its costs and facilitating cros
    Read More
  • ITS initiatives provide travel information for disabled passengers
    December 4, 2012
    David Crawford investigates initiatives and issues in travel information for disabled passengers. World Health Organisation estimates suggest that 10% of the global population live with a disability. This can impact directly on their mobility, with implications for their independence; keeping active; and travelling to work, education and social activities; as well as the accessibility of information necessary to aid mobility. The EU-supported ‘CARDIAC’ project (Coordination Action in R&D in Accessible & Ass
    Read More
  • UK council ‘budget cuts’ halt development of EV charging
    March 18, 2019
    More than 100 UK local authorities say they have no plans to increase their number of electric vehicle (EV) charging points. These findings have been revealed from freedom of information (FoI) requests submitted by the Liberal Democrats and shared with The Guardian newspaper. According to the report, Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat former energy and climate change secretary, says the lack of investment in charging points is due to “cuts to council budgets”. “Unless there is urgent action to tackle our out
    Read More

Highlighted Content