Assembly of the prototype Revolution Very Light Rail vehicle has been completed, and is it now ready for testing to assess the feasibility of providing passenger services on low-traffic and feeder routes where the high cost of conventional rolling stock is currently a barrier to operations. The demonstrator vehicle has been produced by the Revolution VLR Consortium led by Transport Design International and including safety and standards body RSSB, leasing company Eversholt Rail, Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick, engine supplier Cummins, Coventry-based autonomous pod manufacturer RDM Group and Transcal. The 18 m long bidirectional vehicle has a bodyshell made from recycled carbon fibre, with the prototype configuration having a capacity of 56 seated passengers.SHOW FULLSCREEN
The Cummins engine and diesel-electric powertrain is adapted from automotive technology, and gives a maximum speed of 105 km/h. There is a lithium titanate battery pack for regenerative braking and to enable zero-emission operation at up to 30 km/h in stations and built-up areas.
The vehicle is intended to be suitable for operation on heavy rail infrastructure, rather than tramways, but special procedures would need to be adopted to permit mixed operation with conventional trains. The demonstrator is to undergo validation tests at the Rail Technology Centre in Long Marston, and will then go to a rail-connected site in Ironbridge for demonstration to potential operators from October. The VLR research programme has its origins in the Radical Train programme launched by the Rail Safety & Standards Board in 2014, with TDI proposing a lightweight self-propelled railcar that eventually became the Revolution VLR concept and was awarded government for development.
RSSB has identified 35 routes that could be suitable for VLR, and several operators have expressed interest.
So, is this the 2020’s equivalent of the Pacer?
Milest
No
Virtually no vibration, hopefully comfortable seats & an entirely reasonable speed on “twisty” lines, or those with multiple stops.
The operational problem is the same as the “Tram-Train” – long since solved in Germany, of course, but our officialdom will insist on re-inventing the wheel, with added paperwork (!)