Kolkata Loses Its Heritage: Trams to Discontinue

The Kolkata city is losing its charm as the city bids goodbye to its historical icon tram which was introduced in 1873. The  government has recently announced that it will discontinue the city’s 150-year-old tram service. Only a single heritage route between Maidan and Esplanade will continue its operation. 

History of Trams dates back to the 1800s, when the first trams were drawn by horses, and not engines. The trams were initially operated between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street, covering a distance of 3.8 kilometres. It was Lord Ripon, who then again reintroduced the trams in the 1880s. Slowly these trams transitioned into electric-powered trams, which proved to be a more sustainable alternative introduced in 1902. 

Trams connecting key parts of the city and easing the commute for millions. Kolkata became the only Indian city to maintain trams while other cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, abandoned them over the years. Then why are these getting discontinued? Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty states challenges with trams as they occupy major part of the road, leaving only 6% of the area for the city. This has significantly increased the vehicular traffic, congestion, road blocks in the capital city.

“Trams are undoubtedly a part of Kolkata’s heritage,” Chakraborty said.

He added, “but as roads comprise only a small portion of the city’s area,’ He has emphasises on bringing more  transportations that will replace the Trams, including the electric Buses.

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Public Dissatisfaction

Public has expressed their dissatisfaction with this decision , including groups like the Calcutta Tram Users Association (CUTA), arguing about the possibility of the trams causing traffic congestion. Even many environmentalists have argued of Trams being environment friendly than other transportations.

“We will not let this happen,” said Kaushik Das, a CUTA member. “If the state government is serious about easing traffic congestion, it can remove encroachments and widen roads. Trams, which are non-polluting, are not slow-moving. Their average speed is comparable to that of cars in Kolkata.” he added.

Calcutta High Court will now review the decision to discontinue trams. The Calcutta High Court formed an advisory committee in June 2023 to examine how tram services could be preserved and restored.