Kolkata's vintage trams on track for a makeover

Kolkata: The legend of every grand metropolis is consecrated in one iconic symbol. If the Statue of Liberty upholds a New Yorker's dream, the fountains of Trafalgar Square recalls the empire. Likewise, Kolkata's tram epitomises the laid-back nature of this erstwhile British capital.

These slow-moving electric reptiles have been rumbling down the streets of Kolkata for 137 years. They have witnessed the golden decades of this heritage city since its formal inception back in 1873.

Tram services were withdrawn soon after induction due to lack of patronage, but were reintroduced in 1880 by the then British government which formally launched the Calcutta Tramways Company Limited (CTC) as a registered joint stock company at London.

Kolkata is the only Indian city which has an electric tram network. Over the years, the tram has undergone a series of transformations. Horses have given way to electricity.

Green transport

These slow-paced, environment-friendly street-cars, which often fill the air with electric sparks as they trundle through maddening crowds and roads crammed with traffic, have an unheralded, but significant position in the history of public transport in India.

Now, this vintage contraption is undergoing another facelift to compete against other modern systems of public transport. CTC has a fleet of 272 cars, but only 100 trams rattle out of the depots, often with a few commuters on board.

"It is important to renovate the cars as it is a part of this city and we will do all that we can to make sure it survives," CTC managing director Pradip Kumar Chatterjee told Gulf News.

So far, 15 trams have been renovated at a cost of over Rs12 million, with 20 more slated for renewal.

"After fears that trams might be phased out there is hope," says Subhendhu Sarkar, a tram driver for the past 35 years. "The remodelled cars are comfortable and they contribute to the aesthetics' of the city," he added, steering a refurbished car out of a depot.

The oldest tramcar in Kolkata is 70 years old, while the newest car was purchased 30 years ago.

S.S. Ghosh, an engineer overseeing the renovation project, says: "The basic technology will remain the same, but the trams will be equipped with modern features such as uninterrupted power supply and polycarbonate bodies."

Commuters are happy. Rishi Shah says: "I have been using trams for over 45 years now. With the revamped cars I have no desire to swap this eco-friendly means for a faster, polluting vehicle."

Satish Sen, who lives in the US, was thrilled to take a ride on a remodelled tram with his family. "This is unique and I feel it's no less than the streetcars of San Francisco," he says.