Indians today are accustomed to using metros or local trains, even cabs and buses as part of the common public transport. Gone are the days when people used to walk on foot or take trams to travel through the city. But wait till you watch this.
Jump To
Video From 1964 Shows How Tram-Trains Ran On The Streets Of Mumbai
Wikimedia Commons
An old video that resurfaced on Reddit has stunned people; it shows tram-trains moving about in Mumbai aka Bombay. Most people today, only know Kolkata as one of the states that had an intricate connection of trams throughout its landscape and it still preserves its transport system.
However, it was not only Kolkata or Calcutta that enjoyed the convenience of a tram system. In the video from 1964 going viral on the internet, double-decker trams from Mumbai can be seen running through the quiet city. The visuals show a more spacious city, much different from what it looks like today.
In the retro video, the roads are not filled with honking cars but rather bicycle riders and pedestrians occupy much of it. Neither is the tram jampacked with people ready to spill out of every opening on the train unlike the visuals of Mumbai’s local trains today.
Mumbai And Kolkata Were Not The Only Metropolitan Cities With Tram Networks
Wikimedia Commons
Even though Kolkata is the only state that preserved its tram system through the years, many states and cities in India had robust tram networks enriching public transport in the areas.
Trams were introduced in India in the late 19th century. It was Kolkata that got its very first horse-drawn tram in 1873 which was later followed by Mumbai and Nashik. Soon, electric trams were welcomed in the streets of Chennai in 1895, followed by installations in Kanpur and Delhi.
Mumbai
Wikimedia Commons
While the beginning of a tramway in the city of dreams came with horse-drawn carriages. In 1907, the city adopted electric trams but had to say goodbye to public transport in 1964.
Kanpur
Twitter
Known as Cawnpur then, the city only had a single track going from the railway station to the Bank of Ganges in Sirsaya Ghat. This route was introduced to the locals in 1907 and was soon closed up in 1933.
Chennai
Twitter
Although Kolkata was the first to get trams, it was the city of Chennai aka Madras that first welcomed electric trams on its streets in 1895. After building an intricate network with over 90 trams, Chennai said goodbye to the retro trains by 1953.
Patna
Twitter
There was a horse-drawn tram system from Patna-city to Bankipore but had to close down the public transport as a result of a lack of riders in 1903.
Delhi
Wikimedia Commons
The capital city also had a robust tram system that sprawled over 15km of track and 24 cars but in 1963, the city closed down the transport system. In 2019, it was proposed that trackless tramways be brought back to the Chandni Chowk area of Delhi.
For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram.