NOIDA: The city’s first tram route is likely to be built from Sector 143 to Sector 137, parallel to the Greater Noida expressway and connecting these two places with Noida Metro stations that will be built in the area.
In a meeting held on Tuesday, the Noida Authority drew up a plan to use trams as a last-mile connectivity option in Noida and link it with the upcoming Metro network. The pilot line was proposed from Sector 143B to Sector 137, a distance of 12km, while the second route spans around 25 km, extending tram tracks up to Sector 93. The proposal is likely to be finalized at a meeting that will be held on Wednesday.
Last week, a report on the tram project in Noida was tabled before UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, an official said, adding the CM had asked officials to deliver the project as soon as possible. Tram services are also proposed from Greater Noida to the Yamuna Expressway region but those routes are yet to be decided.
Talking to TOI, Noida Authority chairman and CEO Rama Raman said trams are the need of the hour. “Since Metro railway cannot cover cities intensively, we need to look at other options to cater to people living in various residential sectors. After exploring all options, we thought the tram service is the best option. It is eco-friendly, cost-effective and can be developed within a short span of time. We have asked a private agency to complete the mobility plan for Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway areas,” Raman said.
The estimated cost of building a tram network is Rs 10-15 crore per kilometre and small routes of around 10km can be developed within a year, Raman added. He also said the idea behind building a tram network was to cover residential, institutional and commercial sectors like sectors 127, 129, 93, 137 and 143.
