Ahmedabad Times

Kolkata’s electricity-driven trams, began by the British in 1873 and shut down in 2024 below the Trinamool Congress (TMC) authorities, besides on two routes, might make a comeback below the Bharatiya Janata Occasion, transport minister Arjun Singh mentioned on Sunday.

“We need to revive the environment-friendly public transport system. RITES (Rail India Technical and Financial Service) has been requested to conduct a survey,” Singh mentioned.

Transport division officers mentioned the state plans to renovate the outdated tracks first after which develop a mannequin to function trendy carriages, much like these seen in Australia and a few European cities, to advertise tourism along with serving as a each day mode of transport.

A public sector endeavor (PSU) below the ministry of railways, RITES presents engineering and consultancy companies in transport infrastructure, together with roads, airports and railways.

“There was 40 routes throughout the Left Entrance authorities however solely a restricted variety of trams presently function on two routes: one from Gariahat to Esplanade through Park Circus in south Kolkata, and one other from Shyambazar to Esplanade within the north. The feasibility examine will decide if a number of the outdated routes will be revived by means of modernisation,” a transport division official mentioned, requesting anonymity.

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The West Bengal Transport Company Restricted (WBTCL) has run the tram companies since 2016 when it took over the unique Calcutta Tramways Firm (CTC), which the British authorities shaped and registered in London on December 20, 1880.

In keeping with WBTCL information, the primary horse-drawn tram was launched on February 24, 1873, working 3.9km between Sealdah and the Armenian Ghat (jetty). It shut down in November that 12 months and returned with metre gauge tracks on the Sealdah-Bowbazar-Dalhousie-Armenian Ghat route in November 1880.

In 1882, steam engine pushed trams had been launched and had been changed by the electrical energy powered trams in 1900. CTC constructed its personal energy station on the Nonapukur tram depot, which remains to be operational, nonetheless, Calcutta Electrical Provide Company, Kolkata’s sole energy provider so far, began powering the trams in 1927.

In 1922 CTC launched buses, which had been later discontinued.

In February 1943, the tram companies had been linked to Howrah, bringing the full size of the tracks within the two cities to 68km, based on information.

After independence, the state handed an Act in 1952 stating that it will take over CTC’s administration from the British in 15 years.

By 1960, CTC had 450 operational trams. The British administration left India in 1967.

An integral a part of Kolkata’s panorama and British-Indian historical past, trams featured in lots of films, together with Satyajit Ray’s PleasurerRitwik Ghatak’s Bari Theke Paliye and Mrinal Sen’s Interview, Calcutta 71 and Padatikand widespread Bollywood films corresponding to Fig, Story, Barfi and Yuva.

New routes had been added and a number of other outdated routes had been discontinued over the following 5 many years as new modes of transport such because the metro railways (Kolkata was the primary Indian metropolis to have it), triggered a pointy fall in tram customers.

“Loss in income and rising upkeep prices prompted the federal government to close down all of the tram routes besides the 2 that also function as an emblem of Kolkata’s heritage,” an official mentioned.