Kolkata's Iconic Tram Service to Be Discontinued, Only Heritage Route to Remain

The West Bengal government has announced its plan to discontinue Kolkata's historic 150-year-old tram service, retaining only a short heritage route between Maidan and Esplanade. Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty stated that this decision is driven by the impracticality of trams in the city’s current traffic conditions.

"Trams are undoubtedly a part of Kolkata's heritage... However, the increasing vehicular traffic and limited road space make it difficult to continue operating them," Chakraborty explained. He emphasized that trams were introduced when there were no buses or cars, noting that roads now cover just 6% of the city's surface area.

During the upcoming hearing on PIL on the gradual discontinuation of trams comes up in the Calcutta High Court, the government will assert that trams will only operate on the Esplanade-Kidderpore route.

Snehasis Chakraborty argued that the tram system contributes to traffic congestion. “Trams now cause congestion, and we cannot afford to get choked by them,” he stated. Despite the reduction, the government will maintain the heritage route for environmentally friendly rides.

The announcement has sparked protests from citizens and tram advocates, who label the move as shortsighted. Debasish Bhattacharya, president of the Calcutta Tram Users' Association (CTUA), expressed dismay and said, “There has been no survey, no study... Abolition of trams will be suicidal at a time when they are being brought back in many cities across the world.” Bhattacharya also stated that the West Bengal Transport Corporation had previously indicated plans to revive the tram network. “It is strange how the same government has now shifted its stance to abolish the network,” he remarked.

Environmental activist Pradeep Kakkar criticized the decision, stating it lacks factual support. “We filed an RTI asking for data on whether trams were slowing down traffic... cops wrote back to say they did not have any such data,” he said.

Activist Somendra Mohan Ghosh countered claims about tram speed, asserting, “Trams... are not slow-moving... If the state government is serious about easing traffic congestion, it can remove encroachment and widen roads.”

In response to the government's announcement, the CTUA has launched a hashtag campaign to save the trams and plans demonstrations at five tram depots across the city.