RailEnquiry

New Delhi: The urban development ministry plans to introduce tramways in medium-size cities with populations of 1-4 million people in a throwback to the 1960s when trams were last seen on most Indian roads. The ministry will shortly begin a trial-run in a tier II city before taking the vintage-era transportation system to other cities and connecting the tramways with major bus and railway stations, urban development minister Kamal Nath said on Monday. Currently, Kolkata is the only city where trams are in use. Speaking at a conference on ‘Next generation tramways solutions’, Nath said tramways allow towns to capture the economic impulse and density generated by larger cities. Transportation is critical to India’s economic growth and a clean energy solution is essential to provide smart mobility in urban areas and allow freight to move easily, he said. “Operating costs are lower than for buses. A tram system will provide easy interoperability with first-mile/last-mile modes such as bikes and walking, existing transportation systems, as well as high speed rail and rapid transportation systems of the future,” Nath said. S.K. Lohia, officer on special duty at the urban development ministry, who was also at the conference, said the ministry will consider tramway projects under the second phase of its flagship Jawaharlal Nehru national urban renewal mission. The second phase of the programme will begin around the middle of the next year. Though transport projects like buses were sanctioned under the first phase, metro rail projects weren’t as they are very expensive. “Cities can start preparing detailed project reports for tramways as they will be financed under the second phase,” Lohia said.