City Development and the Struggle for Optimal Transportation Systems
In the pursuit of sustainable and inclusive urban transportation, the concept of trams is gaining traction in India. Here's a look at why trams could be a viable alternative to metro rail and electric buses.
The National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP, 2006, revised 2014) initially shifted the focus from "moving vehicles to moving people," setting the stage for a shift towards more sustainable modes of transport. This shift is evident in various global cities, such as Curitiba in Brazil, where the BRT pioneered the "trunk-feeder" design, and France, where 25 cities have revived trams since 1990.
Trams, often electric-powered, have lower energy consumption per passenger kilometer than buses and personal vehicles, contributing to reduced urban air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Being rail-based, trams can leverage electricity, which can increasingly come from renewable sources, improving environmental performance.
Trams operate at street level and can integrate closely with existing urban street networks, making them highly accessible for pedestrians, differently-abled people, and neighborhoods often underserved by rapid transit. This level boarding and proximity to urban areas often enable more equitable transport access than metro systems, which typically require access via stairs or elevators to underground or elevated platforms.
Compared to metro rail, trams are generally cheaper to construct and maintain because they often run on existing or modestly upgraded street infrastructure without requiring costly tunnels or elevated structures. Trams can be upgraded progressively (premetro designs), spreading investments over time and avoiding the large upfront capital costs of metro systems. This makes trams especially suitable for smaller and medium-sized Indian cities where metro costs may be prohibitive.
In terms of capacity, trams can offer higher passenger capacities and more reliable, congestion-free operation, particularly when running on reserved or priority tracks. This can reduce delays and operational costs over time. Additionally, trams have longer vehicle lifespans than buses, which can offset initial capital investments.
The Government's flagship responses, PM e-Bus Sewa-Payment Security Mechanism (PSM) and PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM e-DRIVE), aim to seed 38,000 and 14,000 electric buses respectively. However, compared to trams, electric buses may face challenges in terms of capacity and reliability, particularly in congested urban areas.
Adopting trams in Indian urban transit offers several benefits compared to metro rail and electric buses in terms of sustainability, inclusivity, and fiscal viability. They provide a cost-effective, scalable, and accessible urban transit option for Indian cities pursuing sustainable transportation, complementing metro rail in high-demand corridors and electric buses in flexible last-mile connectivity.
However, the adoption of trams is not without challenges. Issues such as inadequate bus fleets, fragmented right-of-way, at-grade conflicts, and absence of universally accessible footpaths and cycle tracks need to be addressed. Financial challenges include high CapEx for metros, shortage of EV maintenance skill sets, lack of indigenous tram rolling-stock supply chain, and low farebox recovery ratio in certain cities.
Gender-responsive design is another crucial aspect. Operators should meet safety KPIs, such as CCTV coverage, panic buttons, and well-lit stations. Creating "pink routes" with timed feeder services matching women’s employment hubs can help improve gender equality in urban transportation.
In conclusion, trams offer a promising solution for Indian cities seeking sustainable and inclusive transportation. They strike a balance by combining relatively low infrastructure costs with the capacity and sustainability benefits of electrified rail transit. The integration of trams into India's urban transport landscape could pave the way for a more sustainable, equitable, and efficient future.
References: 1. Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning - Trams 2. Trams in India: A Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Transport Solution 3. Trams: The Next Big Thing in Urban Mobility 4. The Emergent Tram Revival 5. Gati Shakti National Master Plan 6. National Common Mobility Card 7. Air-quality non-attainment, displacement during metro construction, exclusion of informal settlements from station catchments are major concerns 8. Capital-intensive metro systems still dominate budgetary outlays while lower-cost surface modes, such as trams, trolleybuses, and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), receive intermittent attention 9. Europe: Light Rail & Tram ridership equals metro + regional rail combined (10.4 billion trips / year, 2018) 10. Currently, only 37% of urban residents in India have easy access (≤500 m walk) to mass transit, while over 50% in Brazil and China do 11. Affordable mass transit reduces "spatial poverty traps", improving women’s labor-force participation by up to 15 percentage points 12. Physical Infrastructure: Challenges include inadequate bus fleet, fragmented right-of-way, at-grade conflicts, and absence of universally accessible footpaths and cycle tracks 13. Financial: Issues include high CapEx for metros, shortage of EV maintenance skill sets, lack of indigenous tram rolling-stock supply chain, and low farebox recovery ratio in certain cities 14. Gender-Responsive Design: Operators should meet safety KPIs, such as CCTV coverage, panic buttons, and well-lit stations; create "pink routes" with timed feeder services matching women’s employment hubs 15. Shifting 20% of two-wheeler trips to electric buses could avoid 6 Mt CO2 annually by 2030 16. Every rupee invested in urban public transport returns approximately ₹ 4 via productivity, health, and time savings 17. China: Integrates land auction revenues with metro funding; captures up to 30 percent of value-increment through Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) around metro stations 18. France: 25 cities have revived trams since 1990, with Lyon covering 60 percent of operational and maintenance costs from the farebox, balanced with a parking levy hypothecated to transit 19. PM e-DRIVE (2025)**: Targets 14,000 e-buses in nine Tier-I cities, along with 1,10,000 e-rickshaws for feeder services 20. The Government’s flagship responses, PM e-Bus Sewa-Payment Security Mechanism (PSM) and PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM e-DRIVE), aim to seed 38,000 and 14,000 electric buses respectively 21. The Emergent Tram Revival sees Kochi poised to pilot India's first modern light-tram corridor 22. India is projected to add approximately 300 million new urban residents by 2047 23. Environmental & Social: Air-quality non-attainment, displacement during metro construction, exclusion of informal settlements from station catchments are major concerns 24. The Gati Shakti National Master Plan (2021) seeks multimodal integration in urban transport 25. A study shows that trams offer a 45% net surplus over 70 years, while e-buses register an 82% net loss
Sports can be enjoyed more sustainably in urban areas with the implementation of trams, as they contribute to reduced urban air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The environment can also benefit from trams, as – being rail-based – they can leverage electricity, which can increasingly come from renewable sources, improving environmental performance. Furthermore, trams can integrate closely with existing sports facilities, making them easily accessible for all, including people with disabilities and those from neighborhoods that may be underserved by other transportation methods.
