Pictured: Visualisation of a possible halt on Malvern to Upton rail and cycle line, courtesy Invizio.
Ultra Light Rail Partners Ltd, chaired by Beverley Nielsen, is looking to conduct a feasibility study for an ultra-light rail tram-based solution on a shared bike and tram line proposed to run between Malvern, Three Counties Showground and Upton Upon Severn.
Beverley Nielsen said:
“We have been working on environmentally friendly ultra-light rail solutions as a company for six years, building on the experience of the Stourbridge Shuttle. Our focus is on self-powered rail-based lightweight vehicles, weighing about half of a traditional Metro tram, carrying up to 120 people, and using carbon-neutral combinations of locally produced BioCNG/ LNG with a flywheel or battery for hybrid energy recovery.
“These hybrid powertrain solutions offer far greater range capacity than pure battery electric (up to thirty times) and are more affordable, with battery electric requiring some form of charging equipment. Our vehicles charge themselves, so do not require external charging points, reducing capital installation costs.
“ULR is a successor to the much-loved Stourbridge Shuttle, serving the town of Stourbridge with a 57k population and connecting the mainline train station to the bus station. The service has been operated by Pre Metro Operations Ltd for the past 15 years, carrying over 7 million passengers and providing the only trains in the country to run on LPG gas with flywheel kinetic energy providing range enhancement. With 99.6% reliability, these vehicles have a proven, successful track record, significantly improving the track record for West Midlands Trains as a whole.
“With around one and a quarter million visitors to the Malvern Hills and a million visitors to the Three Counties Showground each year, we can think of four main reasons why we might conduct a feasibility study to assess this line’s potential – tourism, improving health and wellbeing, reducing traffic and congestion and promoting sustainable economic development. At present, you can’t readily get to the Showground on foot or by bike and this could help provide alternative green transport to Upton for music festivals, to events such as the Welland Steam and Country Rally, to Hanley Castle School, and perhaps too, a suitable location for Park and Ride could be identified during the feasibility study.
“We believe our feasibility study should be able to demonstrate the viability levels required to restore the rail line which once existed between Great Malvern and Upton but was closed as part of the wide-ranging Beeching cuts. The proposed route is illustrated in the attached map, but we do not know if the restoration of this route is still possible, and this is one of the issues we would need to investigate this through the feasibility study.
“Whilst we want to conduct a feasibility study for this line, this is not the only place in the country that wants to move people out of cars and into more sustainable transport options. We’re conscious that community groups have been campaigning for light rail links from Wisbech to March in Cambridgeshire, in Cumbria to link together tourist beauty spots in the Peak District, and over many years a light rail link has been the centre of community lobbying in Cirencester. “We want to excite people with our vision for Malvern Hills and ask them to visit our website, ultralightrailpartners.com to add your comments to our campaign for ultra-light rail solutions providing a viable alternative to the car, so urgently needed in our most beautiful fragile environments.”
As a family who will soon be moving to Malvern, we think this is a fantastic proposal.
An eco-friendly and sustainable transport link, with a shared space for cyclist and walkers, can only be a good thing, and something our towns and cities need more of.
We really hope this project gets off the ground and becomes a reality soon!
Sounds like a fantastic idea and opportunity as long as fares are priced low to encourage people to switch.
Also a area for mobility scooter uses to ride on ride off and prams and twin baby buggeys also..
Then consider the time of last train to be late enough to get a night out in pubs ect and get back to other end of line no 7.00 pm early finishes make 11.00pm weekends and 10.00pm weekdays.
Think it a good idea.
Wish you well in your project
Having read this report by Beverly Nielsen, I think this is an excellent proposal for a number of reasons.
This plan would reuse existing track routes minimising construction effort.
There would be a safe cycle track rather than the current, very busy, traffic route.
It would ease and assist access for pedestrian travel between Malvern and Upton, with other stops on route.
It would increase visitors numbers and access to shows and events at Three Counties Showground and in Upton, whilst also reducing traffic to and parking at these events.
All this would be operated using Carbon neutral transport means.
What is not to like?
I love this idea!
We live in Hanley swan (I wish the tram could stop there!) and have walked the old railway line route from Upton to just south of our village. How will you manage the little stretch that is now privately owned – we had to get on to the road and walk that section?
It would be an absolute lovely tram and cycleway as the last picture suggests though.
My only disappointment (aside from it not stopping in Hanley Swan) is that it does go far enough into the centre of Malvern. Even if it could get in as far as Barnards Green / Pound Bank / Malvern Station it would be amazing.
What an obscene waste of money! Stop this madness now!!
You have not explained your point of view as to why it is a waste of money?
Malvern User – you are wrong!
Fantastic idea, mad that there is no proper link from Malvern to the showground and festivals at Upton.
This sounds like a great idea, we here at Station House Malvern support your enthusiasm and would encourage this to the public, maybe incorporating the plan to have the cable cart spanning the Malvern’s would give all visitors more opportunity’s?
Discovering all the heart of the much loved Malvern’s should be accessible for all people, local people or those here enjoying themselves while visiting Malvern.
We wish you all the very best of luck gaining success with your application and hope the panel can see the bigger picture of the light at the end of the tunnel..
There is no more efficient way to get around than metal wheels on metal rails, so if we are going to meet our climate change commitments, then projects like this are the way forward.
If we as a population fail to become far more energy concious, then we would have to evolve gills and flippers to cope with the rising water levels.
Schemes like this are great, and should attract Government financial support to deliver them. There are always solutions to the problems of ownership, missing bridges, shared sections, etc. The cost might be high, but the value to the country is far higher.
Why stop at Upton? Why not continue to Tewkesbury and Ashchurch?
This is an ambitious idea and a feasibility study is a good idea. There are significant benefits to the local towns and economy. It would boost the area as a tourist location, taking cars off the road and increasing attendance at shows and in historic local towns. It would takes cars off the road and enable safe cycle travel. It’s so long since we had this train link that many people won’t realize how valuable it would be to reduce dependence on cars and help revitalize our local economy.
I think this is a fabulous idea! Over recent years, the new housing developments in and around Malvern and a noticeably more tourists to the area have increased traffic considerably.
This would help with that any give much needed connections between Upton and Malvern.
I look forward to hearing about updates of this proposal.
What a wonderful idea. I’m sure it would be well used and eventually pay for itself
We live in Upton and have always said they should never have got rid of the railway system it’s so handy for the people who can’t drive , great idea just hope you get the go ahead 👍
Thank you for your comments.
It’s really good to hear from you and thank you so much for taking the time to post. Steve, a very warm welcome to Malvern to you and your family – I hope you have a wonderful time living here. My family and I have certainly loved it!
We were pleased to meet with the Department for Transport this week and the Minister, Anthony Browne MP. I’ve just posted about this meeting.
We’re due to meet next week with some of the key businesses that sit along the route, so I’ll keep you updated on this too.
I really appreciate all the ideas which have been posted here and in the Malvern Gazette comments and will follow up on these. I’ll be publishing a Frequently Asked Questions sheet shortly trying to address all the points raised on both websites.
The idea for this feasibility study was put to me as a concept by the Midlands Net Zero Hub, as reaching Net Zero goals in a timely manner is becoming increasingly imperative.
It was striking to see that March 2024 was the hottest March in recorded history, as the 10th month in a row to break warming records, so as David Baglev notes, if we keep going on like this we may need to ‘evolve gills and flippers to cope with the rising water levels’!
It was interesting to see the case won this week by 2,400 Swiss women over 64 years of age, who took Switzerland to the European Court of Human Rights, claiming that, by missing its climate targets, Switzerland was putting them at more risk of dying in a heatwave. With Court President O’Leary ruling in their favour and a good many other climate cases lined up, governments will come under increasing pressure to deliver on their climate goals.
I appreciate this is a substantial project and there are many pressing priorities to install cycle paths and promote active travel more widely. I will continue to work towards these goals too. However as Anthony Pitt notes by looking to reuse existing track routes we would be minimising construction effort, with a safe cycle track rather than the current, very busy, traffic route, should the feasibility study suggest a viable project.
I appreciate too Graham Hughes points around fare prices – which would certainly need to form part of any more developed feasibility study, running times and including space for prams, mobility scooters and buggies. I agree with ‘BG’ too about accessing Malvern as a challenge to consider further. Thank you Lee and Chloe at Station House – great to hear from you. Thank you too to SuzCol, Penelope Tennant-Thomas and Adrian. With fewer younger people owning cars and driving less I think we do need to look at alternative systems and more energy efficient infrastructure investments made over longer term horizons.
So like you, I do hope we can see whether anything is possible here in Malvern Hills and get a serious study completed.
Very best wishes,
Beverley Nielsen
A great idea, we often go to Upton by car and would definitely swap to a tram if available. Would be great if it could be extended into Malvern to the train station.
Fantastic idea. I love in Malvern and would really welcome this
I love this idea! Upton is used as a rat run when anything is on at the showground and soon grinds to a halt, if even some of this traffic can be stopped it would be fantastic.
It looks a wonderful way to travel rather than sitting at endless temporary traffic lights these days!
As a cyclist ths is a brilliant idea, especially if the vlr train can take the strain of the last few miles back to Malvern after a day cycling around the Cotswolds.
If it goes ahead and is successful maybe funding could be sourced to reinstate the bridge over the Severn. Luckily the M50 bridge already exists as Aschurch to Upton was the last section to close. Relieving the local roads of Three Counties visitor traffic would be a huge benefit to improve air quality.
Great idea. I live in this area and use the proposed route as a dog walk. I also regularly cycle to Upton and the road that goes past Three Counties Showground is hazardous for cyclists, given the speed that many cars go on that stretch.
It would be a pity to still have to use Liquid Petroleum Gas if an all electric solution could be found but overall, this is an exciting prospect.
Stop talking about it and get on with it a great idea. I bet Brunel didn’t bother with an endless consultations he just made a decision and did it. This is what made Britain Great.
The planning required did not exist when Brunel built his railways. However, using innovative Ultra Light technology should reduce the time required.
What an excellent, innovative proposal.
Beverley Nielsen and her team should be congratulated. Obviously, it needs to be fully evaluated but the benefits seem obvious.
I do agree with one of the other contributors however; the Malvern end of the line must be nearer the Town centre and Gt. Malvern (mainline) Station.
How is this linking into existing public transport options in Malvern? Is that proposed station somewhere near the new housing areas near Qinetiq? For visitors that’s nowhere central. Considering how many people use the shuttle bus to get from Great Malvern station to the showground surely this is only useful if it can link to Great Malvern station?
This is an ambitious idea but thats what we need to decrease car dependency and provide better public transport. There is no regular bus from Upton Hanleys and Welland to Malvern which is ridiculous. (apart from the recent on demand service) . I would hope it would reduce the traffic to the show ground by encouraging people use the train to Malvern. This would help the traffic problem duringt the show grounds events to some degree.
To combine with a cycle route might also tie in well with getting feeder cycle routes to the track, as there is a dearth of them around this part of the district.
As a parish councillor at Hanley Castle I know our council would support.
What a fantastic idea. I guess it would all come down to costs and whether it is really affordable for the average person.
It would be good to know more and it would be great to have some rural links remade and travel in the area made easier.
Great idea.
Would appreciate it if the feasibility study also looks at connections to existing public transport e.g.Great Malvern railway station as well as providing transport to new ‘out of town’ parking resources for Greater Malvern with its planned growth in theatre numbers and overall tourist growth in Malvern and ‘the hills’. This would also assist in supporting all day and evening services as mentioned by previous contributors.
It must also be the first step towards an integrated transport system with associated fares within the locality to get people out of their cars (diesel, petrol and electric) onto (e)bikes or public transport. A concept increasingly adopted elsewhere in Europe but sadly lacking outside of London in the UK.
I like the idea and the support for it, particularly the link to Malvern in the first place. One thing that’s always bothered me is the danger pedestrians face taking the direct route from the Three Counties Showground towards Barnards Green. The tramline wouldn’t need to take the route most people take along the verge, and there are slopes to negotiate along the way, but there’s nothing a surveyor couldn’t resolve.
Please l implore you don’t talk about it get it done . Please,and quicker than hs2 let’s have progress for locals and visitors . I would use almost daily. Better still have meeting in Upton you would soon realise the the locals and surrounding Parishes would also give support l am sure. Don’t let the Nimbys or Greens or the jobsworth stop it..lts common sense to logical for powers that be