Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) has planned to operate light trams in the city for which the company will conduct a feasibility study.
The idea is to operate the service in the 6.2 km MG Road-Menaka-Park Avenue Road-Jos Junction-Thevara loop line corridor after preparing a detailed project report.
KMRL officials held meeting with their counterparts from HESS Green Mobility which implemented the light tram service in Brisbane and many parts across the world. According to HESS Green Mobility officials, the route was ideal to have a light tram network based on preliminary assessment.
KMRL Managing Director Loknath Behera said that if realised, this would become a feeder loop line for the Kochi metro, helping improve patronage. The loop line using light trams will also help link the metro’s M.G. Road station with the Water Metro ferry terminal near the High Court.
A three-coach light tram having 25-metre length can carry up to 240 passengers. These electric-hybrid trams can be fully recharged in six minutes. They were also differently abled-friendly, unlike many other mass rapid transport systems (MRTS), said Kishore Kumar Gattu, Director, HESS Green Mobility India said.
A light tram network can be readied at around one-fourth the cost of the conventional metro rail system. The cost can be further reduced if the coaches are manufactured in India. It can act as a feeder service for the Kochi metro, helping improve patronage in its 28-km Aluva-M.G. Road-Thripunithura phase-one corridor and the proposed Kakkanad extension in the 11.2-km JLN Stadium-Infopark corridor he said.
Based on its feasibility, light tram service can be considered even in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode cites, officials added.