150th Anniversary of Calcutta trams

Subject : History

Section : Culture

Concept:

Kolkata’s iconic tram service celebrated 150 years since the first tram was flagged off.
The celebration saw tram enthusiasts from as far away as Germany and Australia come to the city for a historic “Tramjatra” festival, organised by the West Bengal Transport Department.

History of trams

the first trams entered service in the then British capital of Calcutta in 1873. The horse-drawn trams plied on a 3.8 km route between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street.
In 1874, the first horse-drawn trams emerged in Mumbai, plying on two routes – Colaba to Pydhonie via Crawford Market, and Bori Bunder to Pydhonie.
Nasik would be the third city in India which saw trams – a four-horse-driven tram (with two cabins) that would travel a distance of around 8 km.
In 1880, trams re-emerged in Calcutta, when Lord Ripon inaugurated a new, longer, metre-gauge route, this time with steam locomotives.
However, Mumbai, Nasik or Patna would never switch to steam locomotives.
Forest trams were opened in cochin in 1907 and later in princely state of Bhavangar in 1926.
Electric trams : In 1895, Madras (present-day Chennai) saw India’s first electric tramways enter service with seven cars and it was later introduced in calcutta.
By the 1960s, tramways, which were once seen as a revolutionary development in urban transport, had all but vanished in India. Today, Kolkata remains the last city which still operates trams, though these old colonial relics are perpetually at risk of being discontinued.

Tramjatra Event

Tramjatra (tram’s journey) is a moving tram carnival that was started back in 1996 jointly by enthusiasts from Melbourne and Kolkata.
At the time, Kolkata, the only Indian city where the tram still runs, was home to about two dozen routes.
Today the number of routes that remain operational has shrunk to just two.
The 2023 event, therefore, will be more about impressing the West Bengal government to preserve the tram.
Tramjatra is essentially an international collaboration of trammies, artists, environmentalists, and tram-loving communities.
It seeks to educate people, particularly the younger generation, about climate change, air pollution, and sustainable development objectives with a focus on green mobility and Kolkata’s tram legacy.