West Bengal Government to Close Iconic Tram Service in Kolkata

The West Bengal government plans to discontinue the iconic tram service in Kolkata, except for a few stretches. This was announced by the West Bengal transport minister, Snehashis Chakraborty, on 25 September 2024. However, the minister said that as the matter is with the Calcutta High Court, the state government will act according to the High Court's orders. 

The Minister said that service on the  Maidan, Esplanade, and Khidirpur stretch will continue but will be more of a heritage service.

Kolkata was the only city in India with an operational tram network, and the closure of the tram services will mark the end of 151 years of service by the Kolkata tram.

Tram, also called Light Rail Transit, is an urban transport system which in modern days uses electric-powered vehicles to transport passengers.

It is a type of rail transport vehicle that runs on tramway tracks. Tramway tracks are like railway tracks but are built on city roads. The tracks are sunk in the roads so that normal vehicular traffic is not affected. 

Reason for Discontinuing Tram Service in Kolkata 

According to Snehashis Chakraborty, the tram system is a major cause of traffic jams in the city during peak hours. Roads comprise only 6 per cent of Kolkata's surface area, and an increase in people's use of cars for faster travel has led to congestion and jams in the city.

This has been the main reason for the closure of tram systems in other cities of India, as people prefer faster modes of transport rather than slow-moving trams.

History of Tram System In India 

The British introduced the tram system in India . It was first introduced in Kolkata (then Calcutta) and later in Mumbai (then Bombay),Chennai (then Madras),Delhi, Nashik, Kanpur, Patna, Kochi ( then Cochin) and Bhavnagar.

 Kolkata :Trams were introduced in Kolkata by the British in 1873 which were driven by horses.Later steam engines were used and finally in 1902 electric trams were introduced in Kolkata. After independence  the tram service in Kolkata was run by the West Bengal Transport Corporation.

Mumbai : Horse driven tram services were introduced in Mumbai in 1874  and the tram service was discontinued in the city in 1964.

Chennai: Horse driven tram was introduced in Chennai 1874 and the country's first electric tram was introduced in the city in 1895 long before Kolkata and Mumbai. It was closed down in 1953.

Nashik: Nashik was the fourth India city to introduce horse driven tram in 1889 and the tram service was closed in the city in 1933.

Kanpur: In Kanpur the tram system was introduced in 1907 and was in operation till its closure in 1933.

Kochi : In Kochi, trams operated from 1907 to 1963.

Delhi :Tram services were introduced in Delhi in 1908  and were shut down in 1963.

Patna: Horse pulled tram was introduced in Patna, Bihar in 1886 and closed its services in 1903.

Bhavnagar :The princely state of Bhavnagar, now in Gujarat introduced tram service in 1926  and it was finally closed in the 1960s.