Telford eyes metro-style rail network for town link
All-electric metro trains could be coming to Telford, with the local authority considering spending £150,000 on developing a link between Telford Central and Ironbridge.
Telford & Wrekin Council’s Very Light Rail project was unveiled as part of a transport strategy which went out for consultation this month.
The metro, which is similar to an existing project being trialled in Coventry, would connect the tourist hotspot of Ironbridge Gorge with Telford’s town centre – but could be extended to serve other destinations across the borough.
A potential light rail project was included in Telford & Wrekin’s draft transport strategy, released earlier this month, which sets out how the towns road, rail and cycle networks will help the town develop between now and 2041.
Revolution VLR has been developing a light rail system on a former freight line in Telford for the past five years. Credit: Revolution VLR.
The authority is set to commission a feasibility study into the eco-friendly system, which would be “entirely battery powered” and would operate a shuttle service between key destinations on the route.
Around four miles of track could be included in the VLR project, a former freight line which connects the Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton line near Telford town centre with Buildwas in the Ironbridge valley.
In its proposed delivery plan for the transport strategy, Telford & Wrekin Council says further work is required to identify and develop suitable station locations along the route – which runs through the south of Telford close to some of the town’s major employment sites at Stafford Park and Halesfield, before running down to Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge.
Ironbridge-based Revolution VLR has been developing a light rail system on former coal sidings since 2021, and holds the lease for the section of track, which once carried coal and wood pellets to the former Ironbridge power station in Buildwas.
The line includes the grade two-listed Albert Edward Bridge, a 200ft cast iron structure, which spans the River Severn at Coalbrookdale.
A consultation on Telford’s new transport plan will run until 27 September.
“We have set out what we believe the borough will need over the next 15 years, but we now want to hear from the people who use our roads, buses, trains, walking routes and cycleways every day,” said Cllr Ollie Vickers, the council’s cabinet member for jobs, transport, and digital connectivity.
“We want people to tell us what works well, where they face difficulties and what would improve their journeys. Those experiences will help us make sure the final plan reflects what our communities need, both now and as we continue to grow.”
The draft transport strategy and a link to the consultation can be found on Telford & Wrekin’s website.
