Kelvia light rail

The Kelvia light rail is a system serving the Kelvia Capital District in Kelvia, Arola. The system first opened with 5 stations in the city center on 6th June 2008 and has since expanded into phases. It is the northernmost light rail system in the world.

The light rail system has 2 lines (Line T1, Line T2) serving 14 stations. Both lines start at the Kelvia Central intermodal hub and branch off near the end of the city center, with Line T1 continuing to the Kelvia Kasala International Airport and Line T2 travelling east to the Kelvian suburb of Okka.

History
In the 1960s, after Arola gained independence, the government planned a comprehensive metro plan in the city which was to be built in phases in the 1970s and 1980s. However, continued corruption problems in the country and lack of funding meant that the entire project had to be scrapped just before construction started.

In January 1993, the idea of a light rail system in Kelvia came into conception and three years later, the city started a proposition to build an initial 2-line light rail system consisting of 14 stations to be built in the next two decades. The proposition was passed and major planning began immediately.

In September 1998, bidding for the system’s infrastructure began, with construction scheduled to begin in 2001. In late 2004, a controversial rolling stock contract was awarded to Takusa Railway Equipment, even though the company had no prior experience in building light rail vehicles. This caused public outrage and it was ultimately decided to re-award the contract to the second highest bidder:, who would provide modified vehicles for the system.

On 6th June 2008, Kelvia’s first light rail line opened, just weeks before the Republic of Arola Golden Jubilee Celebrations were scheduled to be held. The 5-station line helped to relieve congestion on buses in the city, providing links between parts of the city center.

On 24th July 2010, the line was extended by 4 stops to Kekkola, before the penultimate section of the initial system opened on 9th October 2010 to Kelvia Kasala International Airport.

Line T2 opened on 19th February 2018 as the final portion of the initial system, taking the line from the intermodal hub to the eastern part of the city, connecting Television Circle. The line was originally expected to open in 2014, but construction delays at Television Circle pushed back the opening by four years.

Following the success of the initial system, KKL made a proposition in February 2019 to expand it into a three-line system which includes underground tunnel segments. The proposition was passed in December that year and construction began in March 2020 amidst the, expected to be completed in phases between 2023 and 2029.