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Minister launches call for evidence
to seek views on the potential for new light rail and other
rapid transit solutions in English towns and cities
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Announcement made on visit to Midlands Metro Extension
in Centenary Square, Birmingham, funded by £60 million
government grant
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Light rail and tram journeys already account for 3% of
all public transport journeys in England
New light rail and other rapid transit solutions could be
integral to our future transport networks across England’s town
and cities, Light Rail Minister will announce today (7
February 2019).
The announcement came as the minister visited the extension of
the Midland Metro light rail system in Birmingham — one of the 8
light rail systems in England responsible for 267 million
journeys every year — to see how similar networks could rolled
out across the country.
The call for evidence offers an opportunity to understand the
role light rail systems and other systems, including very light
rail, ultra-light rail and other automated guided transit
systems, can play in the future of urban mobility, delivering
environmentally-friendly, accessible and modern options for
passengers.
It also aims to discover how future schemes can integrate
seamlessly with new trends such as autonomous vehicles, in
addition to buses, cycling and walking.
Transport Minister said:
The Midlands Metro network shows how government support can
help to create a sustainable, accessible and innovative light
rail system, which forms an integral part of a modern urban
transport network.
This is a great time to explore the incredible potential for
light rail schemes across the country. Today’s wide-ranging
call for evidence seeks new ideas and new support for the next
generation of light rail, so that we make existing systems work
better, and can work with cities and towns across
the UK to create
new ones.
The Midlands Metro
extension — adding an additional 5 tram stops between
New Street Station to Five Ways roundabout in Edgbaston — has
benefitted from a £60 million government grant.
Using battery technology, with part of the scheme constructed
without overhead lines, the extension is helping to provide
faster, more frequent and environmentally friendly journeys
across the city.
The network previously benefitted from a £250 million allocation
from the Transforming Cities
Fund, designed to promote growth and improve transport links
for commuters, which delivered the extension from Wednesbury to
Brierley Hill.
The same round of funding also gave £83 million to Transport for
Greater Manchester to support the procurement of 27 additional
Metrolink trams in Manchester. Transport Secretary recently visited Manchester
to discuss how an innovative tram-train could deliver more
reliable journeys and cut congestion.
The government has also announced £1.5 million of funding to
establish a Light Rail Safety Standard board to ensure safer
journeys for passengers. This will ensure improved management
across the UK tram
industry by enabling more effective UK-wide cooperation.
