The trams of Calcutta is the only operating tram network in India.
Initially, the first tram in Calcutta was horse-drawn and ran for 2.4 miles (3.9 km) between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street on 24 February 1873. The service was discontinued on 20 November of that year. The Calcutta Tramway Company was formed and registered in London in 1880.
In 1900, the electrification of the tramway and conversion of its tracks began. The first electric tramcar in India ran from Esplanade to Kidderpore on 27 March 1902, with service from Esplanade to Kalighatintroduced on 14 June of that year.
During my school days I regularly used the tram which had a route right from school to a stop near home. It was nice and slow and gave me sufficient time to dawdle.
Nowadays, Calcutta has tourist trams, even air conditioned ones, the nicest route is from Esplanade to Khidderpore which runs through the Maidan, one of the prettiest parts of the city.
Last December we came to know that now there is a tramcar restaurant, one can now have dinner on a tram! A tram takes a two hour route from Esplanade to Khidderpore and back (although dinner means it’s dark so you don’t see much) and serves a nice Bengali buffet meal on the way and back. We had an out station friend visiting and even us living in the city were curious. So on we went. The meal was good, nothing gourmet but sufficient and good and the experience novel. Another lovely reason why Calcutta is my city of joy!
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