Light trams in Kochi metro’s M.G. Road-Menaka-Thevara loop line: KMRL to conduct feasibility study

KOCHI: Feasibility study for light trams in Kochi metro loop line corridor to improve patronage and connectivity.

Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) will conduct a feasibility study to operate ‘light trams’ in the 6.2-km M.G. Road-Menaka-Park Avenue Road-Jos Junction-M.G. Road-Thevara loop line corridor. It would be followed by preparation of a detailed project report (DPR), it was decided on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, a meeting was held in Kochi by officials of the metro agency with their counterparts from HESS Green Mobility that implemented the light tram service in Brisbane and many other parts of the world. They also visited the route to get a first-hand idea about the possibility of operating light trams, an improvised version of the bus rapid transport (BRT) system, in the loop line of the Kochi metro.

The route was ideal to have a light tram network, officials of HESS Green Mobility said, based on their preliminary assessment, according to metro sources. “If realised, this would become a feeder loop line for the Kochi metro, helping improve patronage. It would also benefit people from Thevara and the densely populated West Kochi region. This 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,” said KMRL Managing Director Loknath Behera.

Light trams can operate at road level and also parallel to elevated and underground metro rail systems. 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 of HESS Green Mobility India.

“A light tram network can be readied at around one-fourth the cost of the conventional metro rail system. This cost can be further reduced if their coaches are manufactured in India. The company has a plan in this regard,” he added.

Apart from massive capital investment, a conventional metro rail system will entail substantial land acquisition, mainly for stations. If realised, it would become 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.

Based on its feasibility, light tram service could even be rolled out in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, said metro sources.