Kolkata trams: From city lifeline to heritage relic

151 years on, the ding-ding is fading; will nostalgia and activism keep the wheels turning?

- ISHITA AYAN DUTI.

Against a grey sky, the camera follows a trolley connecting a tram car with an overhead cable. The shot spans about two minutes as the opening credits roll for Mahanagar—one of Satyajit Ray's masterpieces, part of a trilogy centred around the "Big City," Kolkata.

For generations, filmmakers like Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, and Mrinal Sen have used trams as an iconic backdrop to evoke the essence of Kolkata, besides the Howrah Bridge and Victoria Memorial.

But now, if the state government has its way, this symbol of the city may soon exist only as a heritage piece.

Earlier this week, West Bengal Transport Minister Snehasis Chakraborty announced plans to operate trams only on a single route, from Esplanade to Maidan, as a heritage stretch, citing traffic management as the main concern. The state's transport department, which organises Durga Puja packages for pandal hoppers, has omitted trams this year due to objections from the traffic police.

The government's stance comes amid ongoing PIL hearings in Calcutta High Court over the gradual discontinuation of tram services. As the city waits for a final verdict, the people of Kolkata have already taken the news to heart.

“What will remain of our pride?” asks filmmaker Goutam Ghose. “This is Asia's first tramway—our heritage.”

People from Mumbai and the South come here to film trams, he says. “The Howrah Bridge, trams, and yellow taxis—these are Kolkata's icons. Globally, trams are popular; we need to upgrade this system, not discard it,” Ghose adds.