The tram train raised to unite Montevideo and cannelloni as an alternative to the complex mobility currently experienced in the metropolitan area of Uruguay, could also be connected to central railway at a future stage of the project.
When the ambitious project that seeks to be a solution for connectivity between the two most populous departments in the country was announced for the first time, both enthusiasm and controversy were unleashed, mainly at the political level between the national government and the municipalities involved. Today, more than a month after the communication, the tasks for the feasibility study of the private initiative presented by the consortium of companies are advancing 3 S’scomposed by Saceem, Stiler S.A. and Stadler Rail Valencia.
The three engineers in command of the companies referred to the project, Alejandro Ruibal —director of Saceem—, Marcos Taranto —President of Stiler SA— and Inigo Parra —President of Stadler Rail Valencia—; in dialogue with the radio program En Perspectiva. There they raised the possibility that the train-tram that will link Pinewood with Old City may, at a future stage, also connect with the Central Railway.
“The scope of the project is well defined, but this does not mean that at the same time this does not cause a very large change in the entire mobility system”, Ruibal pointed out, in this regard. According to the director, the possibility of connecting with the railway will be one of the changes that derives from the study of the demand and the redistribution of transport services of bus, as long as the adaptation to the electrical power system —catenaries—, the tram train units can take the railway tracks.
“It’s a kick-off and the project is versatilebecause what you have to do is a iteration and then it will reach the Central Railway and they will talk about other branches on October 8”, explained Taranto, for his part. But he clarified that “it is a system that has to have a start because otherwise it is pure diagnosis and does not materialize. Today there is a concrete, serious proposal, with a defined scope, it is 35 kilometers from point A to point B, with all that this implies”.
Finally, Parra stressed that there is currently a “concrete offer of a metropolitan mobility project, a project of the future that is not obsolete, which will allow, once completed, to make applications and connect with the entire railway system”. In this sense, Ruibal added that the Ministry of Transport and Public Works (MTOP) He has already made public his interest that, later on, the line be extended to the east, to the seaside areas.
What will the new tram train service be like?
According to the businessmen of the 3 Eses Consortium, the tram train is a “modern product that will provide a sustainable, safe and comfortable mobility solution”; and that it can adapt perfectly both to urban and busy traffic environments as well as to areas that allow higher speeds.
The project contemplates an investment of 500 million dollars and a 35 kilometer journey between the Independence Square, in Montevideo, and El Pinar, in Canelones. The route is planned to be along the avenue July 18the avenue italy and the Giannattasio Avenuewith 33 stops, a couple of car parks for car drivers to transfer to the train, and areas for workshops and parking for rolling stock.
Source: Ambito
