The West Bengal government has decided to discontinue Kolkata’s historic trams, introduced in 1873, a symbol of the city’s heritage and charm.
The 150-year-old tram service, which is considered a lifeline for the people of Kolkata, was introduced by the Britishers, and later adopted by cities like Patna, Chennai, Nasik, and Mumbai, but was eventually phased out everywhere except Kolkata.
Expressing his displeasure over the move, a local commuter said, “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. It is the cheapest mode of travel. It is eco-friendly since it runs on electricity.”
Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty stated that trams are a slow mode of transportation, and commuters require faster options. Tram services in Kolkata are being terminated due to traffic issues, except for one route from Esplanade to Maidan.
Reacting to the contention that it was a very slow mode of transport and resulted in traffic jams, the commuter said that trams cannot be blamed for traffic congestion.
He further said, “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.”
In 2023, celebrations were held in Kolkata as the heritage tram services of the city reached 150 years. State transport minister Snehasish Chakraborty and other officials celebrated the proud moment of the city by cutting cakes.
“Tram is our 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,” said the Minister.
“The trams will tell the story of a mode of primary transport that is the oldest companion of our city to have survived. Now trams have become a secondary mode of transport, which is a big setback of our heritage tram,” said Udit Ranjan Gupta of the Calcutta Tram Users’ Association (CUTA).
“This is a proud moment for us. For the last 40 years, I have been driving trams on different routes in Kolkata. Now, the service has become less, but people in the city want to ride the tram, and they wish that tram would never become history in Kolkata. I am happy to see the tram’s long journey and wish the government tried to continue tram service in Kolkata as a heritage transport mode,” said Conductor Manas Das.
Trams first started in Kolkata as horse-drawn cars, which were rolled on tracks on February 24, 1873. Steam engines were introduced in 1882, and the first electricity-powered tram was introduced in 1900. After almost 113 years of the electrification of Kolkata’s trams, AC trams were introduced in 2013.
