Pioneering light-rail tech poised to revamp network after chancellor announces £15bn transport boost
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n a sidestreet in central Coventry, a possible vehicle of the future has been making its first public foray: a 60-seat, battery-powered miniature tram. On smooth, almost silent, test runs, its pioneering wheel system allows it to round the corner without slowing – a small bend for this tram but a sharp turning point for tramkind.
The embryonic Coventry very light rail (CVLR) is riding a bigger wave; suddenly, trams are go again. British cities trail Europe but once led the way, before retiring the hundreds of street trams that once flowered under horse and steam power.
And although the likes of Manchester, Sheffield and Nottingham re-established tram networks, the number of modern revivals were almost matched by the list of cancelled projects, with schemes for Liverpool, Bristol, central London and Leeds dropped.
