Plans for a Perth trackless tram service have received a boost, with the Federal Government tipping $2 million into a business feasibility study.
Trackless trams do not require rails and can operate on existing roadways, making the technology easier and less expensive to incorporate into established transport systems.
The Perth proposal is for a trackless tram service from Scarborough Beach Road to Stirling City Centre, with connections through to the Perth CBD on the existing heavy rail network at Glendalough Station.
City of Stirling Mayor Mark Irwin said work on the proposal is partly underway with the route already having been zoned for light rail.
“Long-term, comprehensive local government planning is already approved, and landholders along the route have already ceded the road reserve land required to widen Scarborough Beach Road and deliver the rapid-transit lanes required for the trackless tram system.
“This has meant we were the first local government in Western Australia ready to receive these Federal funds, and we look forward to proving up this concept in order to take the city forward into a new decade of prosperity,” Mayor Irwin said.
The business case will establish:
- the economics of trackless tram as an alternative to light rail in Australia;
- the planning requirements associated and estimated timelines, and
- the necessary business growth and other indicators that would establish a successful route.
Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge says the technology could potentially be expanded into public transport systems across the country.
“Being a fraction of the cost of traditional rail solutions, this technology could enable a massive expansion of public transport; it is very exciting,” Mr Tudge said.