Is Stourbridge the beginning, or end, of the ultra-light rail journey? Part 2

10 July 2015

A visualisation of Transport Design International’s Revolution Very Light Rail vehicle. The image depicts it at St Erth in Cornwall, ready to depart on the branch to St Ives. This is one of the branch lines that John Parry says FirstGroup was considering using Parry People Movers on, had it won the now cancelled competition for the next Great Western franchise.

Parry: seeking investment

The potential Very Light Rail network for the Black Country, which would use vehicles built by the consortium led by Transport Design International. Note it includes the Stourbridge Town branch, on which Parry People Movers currently operate. Source: Warwick Manufacturing Group

Continued from part 1....

The Very Light Rail project

The Revolution Very Light Rail (VLR) project is meanwhile gathering pace. “The main objective of the project is to reduce the weight and cost of a railcar by half in order to facilitate the low-cost connectivity of suburban and rural areas,” WMG explains.

The consortium has the £1.6m from the Future Rail programme and consortium members are also making contributions. The WMG says the project budget is about...