BEIRUT - More than 60 years after Beirut’s tramway network stopped its operations, Lebanon is preparing to test a new locally manufactured electric tram system designed to operate without rail.

The first field trial of the “LIRA X-TRAM” is scheduled to take place in central Beirut on 15 August, according to project organisers.

The vehicle is being presented as the first smart electric tram manufactured in Lebanon and the Arab world that can operate on existing roads without the need for railway tracks or dedicated transport infrastructure. A date for the system’s official launch has not yet been announced.

The project aims to provide a modern and sustainable response to Lebanon’s long-standing public transport challenges, which have intensified amid years of economic crisis, rising fuel costs and limited investment in transportation infrastructure.

Unlike conventional tram systems, the LIRA X-TRAM relies on electric propulsion and smart guidance technology that allows it to travel on existing road networks.

Developers of the project argue that the technology offers a more flexible alternative for urban mobility, enabling transport services to be introduced more quickly and expanded to additional routes without major construction projects.

Beirut’s original tramway network, once a central feature of the city’s transport system, was discontinued in 1965 as buses and private vehicles became the dominant modes of transportation. Since then, successive proposals to revive rail-based public transit have faced financial, political and logistical obstacles.

The upcoming trial will serve as the first public demonstration of the new system and is expected to assess its operational performance in real traffic conditions.

If successful, the initiative could pave the way for the introduction of additional routes in Beirut and other parts of the country.