I visited the Very Light Rail centre in the Black Country and discovered transport of the future - and an eco friendly loo
Everybody drives past it - but do they really know what goes on inside? I went on a tour of the Very Light Rail innovation centre in Dudley and here's what it was like.
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Located on Zoological Drive just next door to Dudley Zoo and Castle, the Very Light Railway National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) is operated by the BCIMO - the Black Country Innovative Manufacturing Organisation.
This year marks 200 years since the birth of the modern railway - and where better to mark the occasion than right here, at the hub of rail innovation.
The £32m building offers all kids of facilities for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SME's). They can utilise a rail development and testing site, fully decked-out engineering labs and the meeting rooms or event spaces. SMEs can range from small, home-based businesses to medium-sized companies with a multi-million pound turnover.
The VLRNIC site is home to the test track that runs through the disused Dudley tunnel beneath Castle Hill. It is more than 30 years since trains used the 1.25-mile railway tunnel, which ran from the old Dudley town centre station in Castle Hill through to Blowers Green station in Shaw Road.
The underground railway is enjoying a new lease of life as a test track for the mini trams which are being developed at the site.
We started off the tour by popping to the loo - a futuristic creation made with a giant 3D-printer. It's the first of its kind in the UK and was designed to transform major infrastructure projects for utilities, highways and rail.
The pod consists of three separate modular wall elements, all of which can be 'printed' in under five hours. The developers say these 3D printed toilets emit 60% less carbon than steel alternatives, and the roof is fitted with solar panels too.
Next we were shown one of the main attractions - the Coventry Very Light Rail (CVLR) vehicle in action on the test track, which has been at the VLRNIC since August 2023. It is a zero-emission, battery powered carriage with capacity for 56 people, 20 seated. It requires no overhead lines and all axels are driven for maximum traction. Its use of regenerative brakes minimises brake dust and the steel wheels on a steel track means tyre dust is eliminated too.
The CVLR track has been designed to be integrated with existing highways and are strong enough to support HGV loads. An on-road test is due to go ahead this summer with a 220m single track installation. Members of the public will be invited to get on board and give feedback about the experience.
The main motivation behind the project is to make urban rail more affordable to install, whilst creating more jobs and investment in cities across the UK.
The CVLR's overhead charger provides enough power for the vehicle to travel 50km in one go and eliminates the need for overhead lines.
This year, Grinsty Rail introduced the Passenger Comfort Module 1000 (PCM 1000), a wireless sensor designed to continuously monitor key environmental conditions in a train carriage such as CO2, light, vibration, humidity and temperature inside – we saw it being tested on BCIMO’s T69 Tram by Naim Kapadia, Head of Engineering at Grinsty Rail.
So, why was this incredible facility built right here in the heart of the Black Country? I got some answers from the senior project manager, Angus Brummitt-Brown.
"A big chunk of it is because of its history and what Dudley has got," Angus said. "We've got the curved tunnel, which is not available anywhere else. It's about as hard as tunnels get, so the ability to be able to use that and look at maintenance is fantastic, it is a fantastic site. There wasn't anywhere else that was close to where we needed to be building the tram that had this facility.
"The CVLR was being developed, so we went for our funding under the Very Light Rail Regional Package, we got some money to develop the system as Coventry, then the VLRNIC was there to help us test what we developed."
The VLRNIC and BCIMO will be holding a fun Family Day on May 17 from 10am with a goal to raise £10,000 for a number of charities.
The centre will be decked out with funfair rides, food stalls, entertainment and music, and will even be offering rides into the Dudley railway tunnel.
For more information, visit bcimo.co.uk/events/bcimo-family-day/.
