East Birmingham to North Solihull automated shuttle feasibility study (EBNS)

Partners

Study objectives

Assess whether an automated transport system could feasibly operate on the route identified.

Where feasibility criteria are not met to the satisfaction of all consortium partners, specify further work required to provide answers to residual questions / identified issues.

Background

Over the past decade significant funding has been invested in developing the case for linking East Birmingham and North Solihull in the West Midlands via an extension to the West Midlands Light Rail Metro network.

Since 2016 when the metro extension Interim Outline Business Case (IOBC) and associated scheme designs were released, there have been numerous advances in Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) systems, supported by developments in regulations, legislature and human factors study relating to CAM services.

This report seeks to understand if a CAM system could feasibly deliver the same benefits at lower cost.

Study methodology

To assess the feasibility of automated transport to deliver a mass transport service linking East Birmingham to North Solihull seven fundamental requirements were adopted.

  • The system must convey the maximum passengers to serve the whole expected demand on the route, at appropriate frequencies

  • The service should be capable of running 5am - 12 midnight 7 days a week

  • Levels of segregation should be provided to ensure journey time reliability, safety and deliverability

  • The system must be un-manned, therefore solutions for safety, fare protection and incident resolution must be factored into costs and feasibility

  • The size and capability of vehicle/system should be decided by the projected service requirements

  • The solution implementation window is for go live in 2029

  • The study should allow for automated transport to be compared alongside other traditional forms of mass transport, therefore the use of industry standard assessment criteria and frameworks will be adopted

Key findings

Previous studies and academic modelling support the potential for CAM (Connected and Automated Mobility) in public transit, drawing on best practice from existing deployments.

The proposed route aligns with local, regional, and national strategies, and its future plans and strategic context support its viability.

Detailed feasibility studies are underway to evaluate route segregation, emerging technologies, and ways to optimise reliability through tools like V2X and adaptive signal timing.

Cost assessments are comparing CAM with Light Rail Transit (LRT), including both capital (infrastructure, depot) and operational (vehicle size, frequency, maintenance) costs.

Reliability and safety are central concerns, requiring a robust Operational Design Domain (ODD), a formal safety case, and research into human factors like fare evasion and minority group perceptions.

Legal and insurance frameworks are being developed to enable CAM deployment, with continued engagement with regulatory bodies.

Readiness of CAM technology, manufacturers, and operators is critical, with market engagement and standardisation of system specs underway. Political and legal acceptability, including CPO feasibility and public communications, are being explored, along with social acceptance and protections against anti-social behaviour to ensure CAM systems are reliable, accessible, and embraced by communities.

Report is available on the following link.