San José trolley would cost at least $220 million

Two French consulting firms have confirmed the feasibility of building an electric tram system in the San José metropolitan area, Costa Rican Vice President Luis Liberman and San José Mayor Johnny Araya said on Monday.

The two politicians presented the results of a feasibility study for a capital trolley system, which would have an estimated cost of $220-270 million, according to Systra and Egis, two companies that conducted the study, which was partially funded by the French government.

The feasibility report also concluded that the project would take four years to complete, and that at least 150,000 people would use the service from 5 a.m. to midnight. The recommended fare for each user would be ₡300 ($0.60).

The study also recommends a trolley with a capacity of up to 750 passengers, which in its first phase would cover a route of 10 kilometers from the Atlantic Railway Station in southern San José to the western district of Pavas, with a total of 18 stations.

Liberman said officials would study financing options, but currently the government does not have enough funding to carry out the project. He said a financing proposal would be ready by the end of the year.