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A brief history of

ULR has been pioneered by Bristol Electric Railbus Ltd (BER). They operated a demonstration service along the Bristol Harbourside on existing standard gauge rail for 30 months from 1998 to 2000. 50,000 fare-paying passengers were carried and the tram proved highly popular with the public. The 6-ton tram, with capacity for 35 passengers, was powered by “green” electricity supplied by SWEB and ran on energy stored in a flywheel. It, therefore, had zero emissions, no pantograph or overhead wires and no electric current to be earthed through the rail. As a result, the Bristol City Council included an extended Ultra Light Rail (ULR) route in its  Local Transport Plan.

Commercial Viability: The Bristol demonstration proved that it is commercially viable to replace buses with light trams – with all the advantages that trams enjoy over diesel buses but without the additional expense normally associated with conventional trams.  

Market: An independent market study of the Bristol ULR demonstration was carried out for Bristol City Council. It showed a highly positive response from the public and a strong demand for the system to be used city-wide.

The Chairman of BER, James Skinner founded SUSTRACO to bring ULR to the wider market throughout the world.

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More information on the project in Bristol can be obtained by sending an email to our UK or EU offices.