The International Light Rail Magazine
+44 1733 367610
Geoff@lrtap.com

Eversholt joins the Revolution VLR team

WMG demonstrating the Very Light Rail concept at the UK Light Rail Conference last year. Image credit: Neil Pulling

British rolling stock leasing company Eversholt Rail announced on 11 May that it has joined the consortium developing the Revolution Very Light Rail (VLR) vehicle.

Led by Transport Design International (TDI), the consortium also comprises Cummins, Prose, RDM Group, the Railway Safety and Standards Board (RSSB), Transcal and the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG), a department of the University of Warwick focused on commercialising technology.

The Revolution is a modular 18m bi-directional vehicle that can accommodate up to 116 passengers (56 seated). Made from lightweight composite materials, the aim is to achieve a tare weight of less than one tonne/linear metre.

The UK Department for Transport (DfT) is investing GBP3m (EUR3.4m) in the project through the RSSB’s Future Railway Enabling Innovation scheme to fund the development of a self-powered bogie with an integral, hybrid propulsion system and kinetic energy recovery system.

It is hoped that the first Revolution vehicle could be on test towards the end of 2019.