Kolkata’s tram system to become Light Rail Transit

The Central government is planning a comprehensive upgrade to Kolkata’s century-old tram system to convert it into a light rail transit (LRT) system, on the lines of systems in Europe and the USA. Compared to the existing slow speeds, the new LRT would have speeds around 40km/hr and would have modern, air-conditioned coaches. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will fund a major portion of the cost, with the West Bengal state government providing र 150 crore. The Centre would provide 20% of the project cost as viability gap funding. According to the renovation plan prepared by The Institute of Urban Transport, a wing of the Union Ministry of Urban Development, there will be up to three coaches in a tram. The trams will be fitted with GPS and the routes will act as a feeder service to the Kolkata Metro.