Kolkata, a city known for sticking to its glorious past and currently in an emotionally fragile state, is not ready to bid adieu to her beloved trams. Trams, which have been a timeless symbol of the City of Joy, began the journey in Kolkata, then known as Calcutta, on February 24, 1873, with their quaint horse-drawn carriages.
Over time, the eco-friendly trams emerged as the most convenient and widely accessible mode of transportation in Kolkata. By the 1940s, the total length of the tram network crisscrossing Kolkata and Howrah had extended to more than 65 kilometres.
However, between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s, tram routes in cities like Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai were gradually shut down. Globally, trams were starting to be viewed as an outdated technology. In Kolkata as well, as the city’s population grew and the number of faster vehicles like buses and cars increased, trams started becoming irrelevant.
By 1990, the closure of the tram service gathered pace as the Left Front government decided to replace the tram network with buses run by CTC. Tram lovers believe that was the first nail in the coffin of Kolkata’s tram network.
This trend persisted under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government post-2011, although they did initiate some heritage tram services. Additionally, the construction of metro lines and flyovers and the introduction of faster and more convenient transportation have led to the shutdown of multiple tram networks.
Passionate tram enthusiasts, organised under the banner of the Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA), have long urged the government to safeguard Kolkata’s cherished mode of transport. From staging protests at various tram depots around the city to seeking intervention from the Calcutta High Court, CTUA has been persistently striving to ensure the continuation of the city’s tram services.
“We cannot lose our very own asset of public transport like this in a time when the rest of the world is aspiring even for a single stretch of tramway,” Debasish Bhattacharya of CTUA told THE WEEK.
The gradual decline of trams in Kolkata has drawn attention from around the world. Roberto D'Andrea, a tram conductor from Melbourne, has been visiting the city since 1994, often bringing along friends and colleagues as part of an initiative called Kolkata-Melbourne Tramjatra.
This project fosters a cultural exchange where trams play a central role. Participants share their experiences of maintaining Melbourne's tram system, hoping Kolkata can take inspiration. However, while Melbourne has made significant progress in modernising its trams, Kolkata seems to be falling behind.
At present, trams operate on just three routes in Kolkata: Ballygunj-Tollygunj; Gariahat-Esplanade; and Shyambazar-Esplanade. However, recent comments by West Bengal Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty about potentially halting the iconic tram services have sparked significant public outcry. The city is not willing to sing the swan song of trams.
Currently, the matter is pending in the Calcutta High Court where the West Bengal government is likely to inform about its decision in the next hearing. In June last year, the high court had asked the West Bengal government to form a committee to examine how trams can be restored, maintained and preserved. In another hearing in December, the court had also suggested a PPP model to revive Kolkata’s tram services.
During a press interaction on Monday, Chakraborty mentioned that slow-moving trams contribute to traffic jams and congestion during peak hours in Kolkata, where roads make up only six per cent of the surface area. Kolkata has the highest vehicular density with 2,448 vehicles per kilometre and the lowest road space among Indian metropolitan cities.
“The allegations against tramways fabricated by the Kolkata Traffic Police and Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police are baseless and fake. The authorities could not support a single complaint against the tramway with valid scientific data,” said Bhattacharya.
The government's failure to take action to preserve Kolkata's iconic tram services has been highlighted repeatedly. After Cyclone Amphan in 2020, part of the picturesque route between Esplanade and Kidderpore, passing through Victoria Memorial and the Maidan, was damaged, causing its suspension. Rather than restoring the entire route, the government has decided to convert a portion of it into a heritage service.
Today, Kolkata is looking forward to the next Calcutta High Court hearing with the hope that her beloved trams would receive a fresh lease of life.