Revival of LRT (Tram) in Urban Area Case Study : Hiroshima (Japan)

Town & Country Planning Organization,

Ministry of Urban Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi

E-mail : pawan612@gmail.com

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Introduction (LRT : Light Rail Transit)

• A metropolitan electric railway system characterized by :

-ability to operate single cars or short trains

-along exclusive rights-of-way at ground level, on aerial

structures (elevated),in subways, or occasionally in streets and

-board and discharge passengers at track or car floor level. (Source: TRB’s Urban Public Transportation Glossary)

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• LRT (Light Metro) is light Rail Rapid Transit (LRRT) which is characterized by :

- exclusive ROW,

- advanced train control system,

- short headway capability and

- floor-level boarding.

• LRT is considered as a better option than Tram ( Street Car) due to :

-multiple unit operation,

-larger length (29 mt ) and

-fast speed ( 105 km/hr). Source: Siemens Technical Data - Light Rail Vehicle System, Houston, USA.

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LRT Vs Tram • Tram is a sub-category of LRT rather than distinct transport mode.

• Tram is a lower capacity of LRT .

• Tram’s track and train run along the streets having shared space with road traffic.

• Tram Stops are provided frequently with smaller stations.

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Double Decker Tram in Hong Kong MetroLink: Street Level LRT in Manchester City Centre, England, UK

Tram in Hiroshima (Japan) • On August 06, 1945 ( 8:15 AM), atom bomb (Little Boy) was dropped

by USA during WW-II .

Devastated Hiroshima after Atomic Bomb Source: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Photo by Shigeo Hayashi - RA119-RA134

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Burnt City of Hiroshima after Atomic Bomb

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Located near Ebisucho Tram Stop. The church was restored and reconstructed. At present, it is not usable due to weak foundation.

Damaged Church Bldg.

Restored Church Bldg.

Near bomb’s hypocenter, ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall have been preserved as structure to remind horrors of nuclear weapons. 8

Damaged Hiroshima Prefecture Industrial Promotion Hall

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Miyajima Island Hiroshima Bay Japan, September 2014

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Burnt Street Car (Tram) in Hiroshima after Atomic Bomb

Restored and Reconstructed Tram Track

3 tramcars were repaired & started in operation just 3 days after atomic

bomb. It carried people and materials in post war construction . (Source:

Japan Railway & Transport Review).

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View of Tram Station/Stop in Hiroshima

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Atomic Bomb Dome Tram Station, Hiroshima

• During 1960-90, due to economic boost up, car ownership increased which caused congestion, delay of tram timetable …………… trams system started to close .

• In 1980, replacement of old car started by new LRVs in Rolling stock.

• In 1999, German Low Floor Tram Car came in Hiroshima.

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Tram in Hiroshima

S.N. City Operator Route-Km No. of Lines Ratio of operating expenditure to revenue (after

depreciation)

____________________________________________________________________________

i. Hiroshima Hiroshima Electric Railway 34.9 * 8 86.2 ii. Nagasaki Nagasaki Electric Tramway 11.5 4 96.6 ____________________________________________________________________________

*Hiroshima Electric Railway Co. (Hiro-Den) runs :

Conventional tram lines = 18.8 km and

Modern LRT Line between Nishi-Hiroshima and Hiroden-Miyajima = 16.1km

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Hiroshima Tram Network

Increase in Ridership

-Introduce New Cars, -Tram approach Indicators, -New Tram stops with Roof, etc. • Hiroshima Miyajima Line started to connect world famous Itsukushima

Shrine (UNESCO World Heritage Site) which increased ridership on this line.

• Hiroshima Miyajima Line also provides inner city movement through connection of all trams in Hiroshima.

Itsukushima Shrine (UNESCU World Heritage Site)

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Itsukushima Shrine (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Trams on Miyajima Line

Financial Incentive for Tram

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S.N

.

Year Initiatives Remarks

i. FY 1995 Relocation of Traffic

Impediments Program

-improvement of Tram stops

-improvement of Road beds,

-other amenities and facilities, etc.

ii. FY 1997 Tramway Reconstruction

Program

provided subsidies from Road

Improvement special Account to Tram.

iii. FY 1998 Subsidies for construction,

improvement, extension of tram

line if such work: reduces traffic

congestion and facilitates smooth

traffic flow on the road.

Replace all old car to low floor tram

car for elderly and differently able

persons.

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Tram in India : An Over view of Kolkata Tram

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Indian Trams in Bollywood Source: TOI Delhi Ed. 14.09.2015

International Experience & Feasibility in Indian Conditions • Population required : 2.0 -8.0 lakh

• Route Length : 20-50 km (Av. Length= 32 km)

• Productivity of LRT system in densely developed cities is calculated by no. of passenger-km produced by per transit employee both on-board and off-board(ground duty):

S.N. Modes(s) Annual Passenger Km.

i. Metro 4,13,500

ii. LRT 3,01,618

iii. Urban Bus 2,01,125

_________________________________________________

Source: Transport Research Board, Washington, USA

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• Medium capacity PT suitable for medium sized towns in the country.

• Provide street level barrier free accessibility with compare to metro / monorail, etc. (underground/elevated).

• Cost Component

-Subway (Engg. Cost) :20 billion Yen/km

-Subway (Infrastructure/land, etc) : 10 billion Yen/Km ------------------------------------ : 30 billion Yen/km ------------------------------------

LRT cost : 1 billion Yen/km

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LRT as Feeder Mode

-Bus as feeder is not much popular

-e-rickshaw is last mile connectivity

LRT as a feeder mode for close transit system such as metro, monorail, sub-urban rail, etc.

Example : VBK Tram System , Karlsruhe, Germany

It runs through the heavy rail network to link the city Centre and sub urban areas.

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Frequent Service

-Six car train (1 No.) runs @ 15 minutes

-Two car Train (1 No.)runs @5 minutes

Example : Maebashi & Takasaki , Japan

-50% car users show willingness to shift for PT if frequency is more frequent.

-60% car users shows willingness if frequency is 15 minutes

-90% car users shows willingness if frequency is 10 minutes

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Congested Vs De-congested of City Centre • In Indian cities, LRT(tram) at grade level can reduce congestion

in CBD, Employment Centre, etc. by replacing mini bus, auto, cycle rickshaws, etc.

• Further, it will reduce

-demand of parking lots,

-vehicular pollution, etc.and revitalize public open space.

• It may fulfill the requirement of missing link in the network .

Example :

Toyama City Tram Loop Line project was extended by 0.9 km (approx.)

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Compact cum Tram City Toyama City has been featured one of the five leading compact cities in the

world by OECD by revitalization of public transport (Tram)

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Source : Kumar, Pawan (2015), Planning of Smart City as Compact City based on Public Transport: Learning Experience from Japan, Indian Journal of Transport Management, January-March, pp. 4-13.

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• It establishes :

-the route,

-a closed network and

-better connectivity to down

town areas.

Result : It revitalizes the entire city

tram system, increases ridership

and improves the city center

image.

Source : Kumar, Pawan (2015), Planning of Smart City as Compact City based on Public Transport: Learning Experience from Japan, Indian Journal of Transport Management, January-March, pp. 4-13)

Example 2: UK Tramway Boom

• The Manchester Metrolink Tram System was the catalyst for the boom in UK tramway construction.

Manchester Metrolink Tram System :

-Rail Commuter Line :28.2 km

-New LRT Track :2.7 km

Total : 30.9 km

• Existing urban track may be used by LRT and complete the network.

• On 30.9 Km line, – 16 Tram stops

– 2 stops are shared between tram and local trans on separate platform,

– 2 stops are part of larger city- centre rail stations

– 5 rail stations

(Source: Japan Railway & Transport Review )

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Comparison of Indian and Japanese Experience

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S.N. Criteria Toyama Exp.

Hiroshima Exp. Kolkata Experience

i. Public Awareness Yes Yes, after atomic bomb explosion.

Already in use. More campaign is required

ii. Fare Integration One day pass

One day pass Fare integration with metro, bus,ferry, etc required

iii. Station Design At grade /elevated

At-grade User friendly due to At-grade design.

• Allocation of (road) space at-grade as well as elevated/underground.

• Innovation in Station Design with proper signage .

• Institutional integration of Tram and Metro .

• LRT as a brand for EST in medium & small cities in the country.

Thanking you for

kind attention

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