While rail construction is a multi-million pound business, involving the adapting of landscape to provide for high speeds and gentle gradients, tram track is potentially much cheaper because of the tram’s ability to follow natural or street topography.
This capability derives not only from the lower speed of the tram but also its high power-to-weight ratio, which allows much steeper gradients than a train could handle.
Conventional tram track is expensive, however, due to the need for continuous electrification, heavy track footings and the obligation to relocate buried services. But PPM vehicles are relatively light and do not need continuous electric supply.
This means that track can be laid within the blacktop surface of the road on the existing road base. Buried services do not have to be removed and track can be easily relocated if required.
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