Transport systems consultancy services

Tender description

The Coventry VLR (Very Light Rail) project is a major infrastructure programme to develop a novel, low-cost, low-carbon rail-based public transport system for operation within the city of Coventry. The programme is a collaboration between WMG (University of Warwick), Coventry City Council (CCC) and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM). The overall programme is conceived to deliver an affordable rail based system, capable of on-and off-street running, which is welcomed by the general public, and uses low-carbon light-weight self-propelled vehicles that are emissions free at the point of use. This procurement process is to appoint a supplier to provide research and development services of concept design and validation for a novel low cost track form for the Coventry Very Light Rail project. The delivery of a detailed, tested and verified design specification for an innovative track form, which needs to deliver a significant step-change reduction in light-rail installation costs. The primary aim is the design of a novel trackform that will enable the low-cost strategy of the Coventry VLR to be delivered. This will be followed by detailed design which would be partly verified though the construction and testing of track form demonstrator sections. This procurement process is to appoint a supplier to provide the core services of concept and detailed design of this track form, as well as component-level validation achieved through component manufacture and testing of the proposed track form.