NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020 FUTURE TRANSPORTATION
Healthcare & Technologies, while Coventry and
Warwickshire are among the leading regional
locations chosen as a centre of excellence in
Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV)
Modelling and Simulation.
Coventry, most notably, has become the
hub for the nation’s fi rst Very Light Rail (VLR)
project. VLR technology is designed to go where
trams or standard rail stock cannot, focusing
mainly on short routes around new residential
and business areas.
In August, Coventry-based military vehicle
manufacturer NP Aerospace was appointed as the
assembly contractor for the VLR vehicle, joining
The University of Birmingham has developed the
UK’s fi rst hydrogen-powered train, HydroFLEX, as a
carbon-neutral alternative to traditional diesel power
BIRMINGHAM
SOLIHULL
TDI and the
University of Warwick
are also partners on the VLR prototype
WMG at the University of Warwick and Transport
Design International (TDI) on the project. The
entire prototype vehicle will be produced in the
businesses and creating as many as 600
new apprentices.
NP Aerospace is providing
COVID-safe assembly
space for the region’s Very
Light Rail (VLR) project
WELLESBOURNE
railway rolling stock
company, Porterbrook.
A UK fi rst, its aim is
to demonstrate how
city, with a full supply chain supporting over 160
Class 319 train, fi tted with
Thanks to NP Aerospace’s specialised
facilities, engineers have been able to
continue their work in a safe environment
which allows them to fully comply with
the government’s social distancing
guidelines. The fi nished vehicle will be
capable of comfortably carrying
56 passengers and will be
tested on the Very Light Rail
National Innovation Centre
Test Track at Castle Hill in
Dudley. This prototype vehicle
is the fi rst of its kind and is
scheduled to start on-track
testing early next year.
The rail innovation
doesn’t end there, either. The
University of Birmingham’s
Centre for Railway Research
and Education is developing the
UK’s fi rst hydrogen-powered
train and the world’s fi rst bimode
electric hydrogen train
– HydroFLEX.
Hydrogen fuel cell
technology is an eff ective
alternative to diesel engines;
potentially entirely carbon
neutral in operation, they
are more environmentally
friendly while off ering similar
performance. The HydroFLEX
project is a ground-breaking
partnership between the
Birmingham Centre for Railway
Research and Education and
Since then, the project has
moved closer to commercial
operation after receiving
funding from the Department
for Transport in June 2020.
The grant, worth £400,000, is
part of InnovateUK’s First of
a Kind (FOAK) Programme. It
will enable the detailed fi nal
production design and testing
of the HydroFLEX train.
West Midlands
manufacturers are also set
to benefi t from Europe’s
largest infrastructure project,
HS2. Construction began in
September of this year, and it is
expected that over 22,000 jobs
will be created nationally, along
with an estimated 400,000
supply chain contracts during
construction, presenting
signifi cant opportunities for
businesses in the region.
On the road
The West Midlands has long
been the hub for the UK’s
automotive industry, with
iconic marques such as Jaguar
Land Rover being joined by
new companies, including the
LEVC, makers of the electric
London taxi, have been based
in Coventry since 2017
London Electric Vehicle
Company (see box,
p26). Sportscar maker, Lotus,
has also recently announced
the construction of a new
advanced technology centre and
headquarters for its engineering
consultancy in Wellesbourne,
Warwickshire, which will create
an initial 130 jobs.
The region is now also the
home of research into the
future of road transportation.
May 2020 saw the launch of
Midlands Future Mobility
(MFM) test environment
– over 300km of roads in
Coventry, Birmingham, and
Solihull and the wider West
Midlands Region for real-world
Connected and Autonomous
COVENTRY
hydrogen could be deployed
across the rail network to off er
a cleaner alternative to current
diesel trains.
The project involves the
conversion of an existing
a hydrogen fuel cell,
giving it the ability
to run autonomously
on hydrogen power
on non-electrifi ed
routes. The green light
for mainline testing
was given in 2019.
Lotus is to build a new
engineering centre in
Wellesbourne, Warks
www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk 25
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/www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk
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