Coventry completes first on-road very light rail track in city centre regeneration milestone

Colas Rail UK has announced the completion of construction on the Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) on-road demonstrator track for Coventry City Council.

The 220-metre track, located on Greyfriars and Queen Victoria Road in Coventry city centre, now stands as a proof of concept for the CVLR programme. The completed section showcases the benefits of this innovative approach to light rail construction, highlighting improvements in value engineering, sustainability, and time efficiency when compared with traditional methods.

The CVLR system is designed to offer a lower-cost, lower-disruption alternative to conventional light rail, with the potential to transform urban mobility both in Coventry and across the UK.

CVLR Project Timeline

Coventry City Council – Very Light Rail (VLR). Credit: Colas Rail UK

Construction began in March 2025 with enabling works involving the removal of an existing central reservation and reconfiguration of traffic. This was followed by track slab and track installation. Work on the track was completed on programme, in mid-May, with bookings available for public. As well as several interested professionals.

Speaking on the project’s successful delivery, Project Manager, Hamish Falconer said “It is fantastic to see this first stretch of very light rail track installed in a live environment.

“The whole team at Colas Rail UK is really proud to have been part of this historic milestone along with how quickly and accurately we delivered this section.

“We look forward to working very closely with our partners at Coventry City Council to build on this success and further develop Coventry Very Light Rail”

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration, and Climate Change at Coventry City Council, said: “Coventry Very Light Rail has the potential to change how people move around small to medium sized cities.

“Colas Rail showed just how quickly it can be laid and the feedback from the public and technical representatives has been incredible.

“We aren’t just piloting technology; we are building confidence in a scalable model that puts climate, community, and cost-effectiveness at the heart of urban mobility. This system will create jobs for local people, and this is just the beginning of our plans to put CVLR at the heart of the growing green economy here in Coventry.”