Shanghai's downtown trams to return after 40 years

Trams are set to return to downtown Shanghai after an absence of more than 40 years, with plans for 13 kilometers of tram lines announced yesterday.

Work on a line between Xupu and Nanpu bridges along the Huangpu River will start by 2017, according to a three-year riverside public space construction plan.

The city government did not say how long the work was expected to take.

Under the plan, the line will mostly run in Xuhui district, along Longwu Road or by the riverbank.

It will help ease traffic congestion and provide a low-carbon transport option for residents and tourists, the city's Huangpu Riverbanks development general office said.

Trams were first introduced in Shanghai early in the 20th century and at their peak more than 300 ran in the city. The network was closed in the early 1970s.

Now, the only tram route is a 9.8km line with 15 stops at Zhangjiang High Tech Park in the Pudong New Area.

But the city government approved tram routes in Songjiang District last year and these are set to open in 2017.

Electric trams of four carriages with a total capacity of 368 people will run on 28.5 kilometers of track connecting to Metro Line 9. The will have a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour.

Two tram routes are also planned for suburban Qingpu District. The northern line is set to stretch 5.15 kilometers and have 12 stops while the 9.15km southern line may have 18 stations.

Other initiatives in the public space construction plan include 12 public transport hubs along both sides of the river to be built by 2017.

Green projects include bicycle lanes planned along the river with rental stations linking hubs and subway stations, plus designated lanes for jogging.

A total of 2,500 new parking spaces will also be created along the river.

Meanwhile, the 1.2-kilometer Zhongshan Road S. Tunnel will be finished by 2016, according to the plan.

It will connect the Fuxing Road E. and Bund tunnels to improve traffic flow in Hongkou and Huangpu districts.

Under a long-term urban plan announced by the Shanghai Transport Commission last year, the city will have around 800 kilometers of tram tracks in the future.