Calcutta Tramways Company
Calcutta Tramways
A horse tram system opened in January 1881, after a premature experiment in February 1873, a 2.4 mile(3.9 km) tramway service between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat Street was started. It wound up in November due to lack of takers [1].
The British-Indian government started The Calcutta Tramways Company Limited in 1880 as a registered joint stock company in London. The same year a metre gauge(MG) horse-drawn track between Sealdah and Armenian Ghat via Bowbazar Street, Dalhousie Square Customs House and Strand Road was laid [1]
The horse tram system opened in January 1881 and gave way to steam locomotives from 1882 [2].
By the end of the nineteenth century the company owned 166 tram cars, 1000 horses, seven steam locomotives and 19 miles (30km) of tram tracks [3].
During 1900, Electrification of the tramway, and reconstruction of tracks to 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge (SG) commenced [3].
Electric trams began running on March 27, 1902 and by 1921 there were 35 miles (56 km) of MG track and 512 cars in service [2]
The tram system is still operating today [4].
Tramway Routes
The following Routes are shown on the ‘Calcutta Tramway Route Map, 1910’ [5] :-
| FROM | TO | VIA |
|---|---|---|
| Begatchia | Dalhousie Square | Grey Street |
| Begatchia | Esplanade | Grey Street |
| Kalighat | Esplanade | Alipore Lane |
| Kidderpore | Esplanade | Maiden |
| Sealdah Station | Dalhousie Square | Bow Bazar Street |
| Nimtolla | Dalhousie Square | Hare Street |
| Bagh Bazar | Dalhousie Square | Lall Bazar Street |
| Bagh Bazar | Esplanade | Bentinok Street |
| Raja Bazar | Dal Street | Dharamtolla |
| Nonpuker | High Court | Wellesley Street |
| Nonpuker | High Court | Harrison Road |
| Sealdah Station | High Court | Harrison Road |
| Sham Bayar | High Court | Bow Bazar Street |
| Sham Bayar | Esplanade | Dharamtolla |
| Kalighat | High Court | Dalhousie Square North |
| Tollygunj | High Court | Dalhousie Square North |
| Bebala | Kidderpore | Diamond Harbour Road |
| Howrah Station | Salkia | Haregunj Road |
| Howrah Station | Salkia | Howrah Road |
| Howrah Station | Sikapore | Maidan Road |
See Also
The Calcutta Tramway system was vital part of the communication between Calcutta City and suburbs, the Mainline Railway Stations at Sealdah and crossing the Hooghly River to Howrah Station suburbs.
For full information - see separate page
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Hindu “Old Wheels still going strong” by Madhumitha Srinivasan, March 21, 2011"; Retrieved 31 Aug 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Tram Views of Asia/India/Calcutta"; Retrieved 31 Aug 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wikipedia “Trams in Kolkata"; Retrieved 31 Aug 2016
- ↑ Wikipedia "Tram transport in India/Kolkata""; Retrieved 31 Aug 2016
- ↑ Extracted from Harvard University, Harvard Map Collection, G7654_C2P33_1910_C3_9451461477; Retrieved 14 Feb 2021