Kolkata: 150-year-old tram service to be discontinued

The West Bengal government has decided to suspend the historic tram services in Kolkata on all routes, except for one from Esplanade to Maidan, reported ANI.

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Transport minister Snehasis Chakraborty stated that commuters required faster modes of transport and trams often caused congestions on roads due to their slow speed.

However, several commuters have disagreed with this contention, stating that trams could not be blamed for traffic in the city.

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One commuter told ANI, “In Kolkata, jams occur at every corner. There are so many vehicles, and the road conditions are still the same. There are no new roads. Even in the by-pass there are traffic jams, so trams cannot be blamed for traffic congestion.”

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Commuters were also dismayed by the discontinuation of trams as they represented a cheap and eco-friendly transport system. “It should not be discontinued. It is a lifeline for the people of Kolkata, especially the poor. Now the inflation has risen. Tickets in the bus and travelling by taxi are more costly than travelling by tram,” a commuter said.

Udit Ranjan Gupta of the Calcutta Tram Users’ Association (CUTA) pointed out that trams were an essential part of Kolkata’s heritage and the suspension of their services would be a major setback.

“The trams will tell the story of a mode of primary transport that is the oldest companion of our city to have survived,” he said.

Tram conductor Manas Das also hoped that the government could resolve the issue by continuing tram services as a heritage transport mode as people have clamoured for its continuation.

History of trams

Trams were first introduced in Kolkata as horse-drawn cars rolled on tracks, on February 24, 1873 by the British. They started running in other cities such as Patna, Chennai, Nasik, and Mumbai but were phased out.

Kolkata’s trams, which have lasted 150 years, were the last ones standing and had become synonymous with the city’s cultural landscape.

The tram also evolved in Kolkata, with steam engines being introduced in 1882 and the first electricity-powered tram starting in 1900. Almost 113 years after electric trams started being used in the city, AC trams were introduced in 2013.

In 2023, as the iconic trams in Kolkata completed 150 years of services, celebrations were held across the city, with transport minister Chakraborty and other officials in attendance.

Chakraborty had stated in 2023 that the tram was the city’s pride.

“Nowadays, tram routes are shorter than before. But the government tried to maintain some heritage routes of the tram. Our first priority is to ensure that tram services never end in the city,” he added.

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