Kolkata is about to bid goodbye to its 150-year-old heritage tram service.State Transport Minister Snehasish Chakraborty cited the rapidly increasing traffic jams in the city as the main reason for this. This decision was not liked by most Kolkatans. The residents here are quite disappointed with this decision as the tram is considered an important part of Kolkata’s history and identity.
150 years ago, Kolkata’s first historic tram hit the tracks on 24 February 1873, since then this robustly built electric vehicle has withstood the ravages of time and carved out the golden era of our history. Withstanding the glorious moments of our Indian freedom struggle, world wars, the Kolkata tram has come a long way. Down the memory lane, when the tram made its first trip from Sealdah to Armenian Ghat, it mesmerized everyone. Over time, the trams have undergone a lot of modernizations, but still it kept running on the tracks like the ticking of Big Ben. This tireless heritage that witnessed our glorious past in rail added another golden chapter to our history book. There is no doubt that Kolkata trams can be named as a priceless pride that has witnessed the rail journey from the era of Governor Generals, Maharajas to our present Kolkata and without which the history of Kolkata will remain incomplete. Kolkata Tramways- ‘Wheels that write and reflect our glorious past, present and our future too’
