Decision details

The board considered a report from the Senior Programme Manager, Coventry City Council seeking to deliver the Very Light Rail Regional Package, which required £36.8m funding from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement to support the completion of the Coventry Very Light Rail research and development programme, equip the Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre in Dudley to support the Coventry programme and future programmes, and to enable Transport for West Midlands to carry out feasibility studies to assess the viability of Coventry Very Light Rail to deliver extensions to current Midland Metro services.

The City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement contained an allocation of £71.5m for the very light rail regional programme, containing three elements:

·       Coventry Very Light Rail scheme;

·       Dudley Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre;

·       Mass transit options appraisal study.

It was intended that these three schemes would complement each other.

Councillor Mike Bird stressed the importance of seeking to procure local firms to support this programme of works. The Senior Programme Manager reported that 67% of the programme’s funds were currently expected to be spent within the UK, and it was hoped that this figure would increase. The Director of Transportation & Highways, Coventry City Council indicated that a local production manufacturer for the very light rail vehicle was being sought through the procurement process.

In response to a question from Gary Taylor, the Director of Transportation & Highways confirmed that the very light rail vehicles would be able to operate on metro tracks should the network ever be extended to Coventry.

Resolved:

(1)      The progression of the Very Light Rail Regional Package strategic outline business case to the WMCA Board on 13 January 2023 be endorsed.

(2)      The request for funding of £36.8m through the strategic outline business case submission from the City Region Transport Settlement Scheme be recommended for approval.

(3)      The financial conditions of approval agreed between officers of the WMCA, Coventry City Council, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and Transport for West Midlands be endorsed.